Theirs to Ransom

The Marriage Raffle #5

by Stasia Black

She was always Daddy’s little princess. They’re vicious outlaws. Now she’s theirs, and they’re not going to let her go without a fight.

Sophia Wolford’s always looked at the world as if the glass is half full. Even after the Apocalypse. What’s the point of focusing on the negative, after all, when you need to get busy rebuilding the world?

Finn Knight sees things differently, however. His motto is: Trust no one and always suspect the worst.

Not surprisingly, Sophia and Finn get along like oil and water.

When Sophia sees an opportunity to save not only Jacob’s Well, but the entire country which is on the brink of war, however, Finn is the only person who can help her.

Sophia gets a lot more than she bargained for, though, when she heads into the wilds of New Mexico and offers herself as a Raffle Bride.

She discovers too late that her new husbands might not have the most honorable intentions. Will she and Finn be able to find a way to save themselves in time, much less the Republic?

Genres: Romance, Dystopia, Erotica, Post Apocalyptic, Why Choose, Audiobook, Menage

287 pages, ebook

First published February 10, 2019

About the author

Stasia was born in Georgia, grew up in Texas, recently spent a freezing five-year stint in Minnesota, and now is happily planted in sunny California, which she will never, ever leave.

She loves writing, reading, listening to podcasts, and has recently taken up biking after a twenty-year sabbatical (and has the bumps and bruises to prove it). She lives with her own personal cheerleader, aka, her handsome husband, and their teenage son. Wow. Typing that makes her feel old. And writing about herself in the third person makes her feel a little like a nutjob, but ahem! Where were we?

Stasia’s drawn to romantic stories that don’t take the easy way out. She wants to see beneath people’s veneer and poke into their dark places, their twisted motives, and their deepest desires. Basically, she wants to create characters that make readers alternately laugh, cry ugly tears, want to toss their kindles across the room, and then declare they have a new FBB (forever book boyfriend).

Reviews

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stupid Girl!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌍
Character development: 🙂😀🤩😍
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

The heroine: Sophia - she is Eric’s pampered daughter from Theirs to Defy. Eric is the man that created the settlement in Jacobs Well after the apocalypse and his friend Travis created a militia which has since taken over the town and is running the republic with a cruel hand. Sophia has no clue how truly bad the world outside he little community is even after they had to leave their homes and hide out in the caves below the cities in Texas. So when her father is away she takes off to New Mexico along with Finn.

The Heroes: Finn - He grew up with Sophie and they fought like cats and dogs. Finn has feelings for Sophia and wants to protect her. He had a bad childhood and even fought in the war before he ended up in Jacobs Well.
Jagger - The Governor of Carlsbad New Mexico. He fixed the marriage raffle. He had plans for Sophia. He controls the water in his town and runs it with an iron fist.
Toby - He is not a nice man, but is one of Jaggers men and he would have made trouble for Jagger if he hadn’t been one of the winners. He had friends so Jagger keeps him close.
Mario - Brother of Leo and a big mountain of a man. The two of them were chosen because they could easily be manipulated by Jagger. His parents were murdered in front of him when he was eleven years old and he has barely spoken since and only to Leo.
Leo - Mario’s brother, both of them worked for Jagger. Leo was at a friends house playing video games the day their parents died and he takes care of Mario to make up for it.

The Story: Sophia got a call from the governor of New Mexico who heard of her father’s settlement in Jacobs Well. Apparently New Mexico had been fighting a war with Colorado and after Colorado had won, they got to take all the women from New Mexico, except women that were hidden well. The Governor had set up a new colony in Santa Fe, but they needed women who could be brides and they wanted to set up a bride lottery like they had in Jacob’s Well. So Sophia went to see if the Governor’s claims were true. Finn went along to protect Sophia along the way.

Sophia had dreamed of her wedding for years and she turns nineteen in a week and can’t wait for her marriage raffle. She dreams of how nice and sweet and handsome her me will be. So she charges headlong into Santa Fe with that on her mind. She and Finn were near the border of New Mexico in a 90 year old truck when about 6 men on motorcycles come up on them and shoot at them with a machine gun. They end up having to hoof it the rest of the way to Santa Fe on the other side of the state.

The story in this book was good, Sophia was utterly naïve, she wasn’t someone who complained when things didn’t go the way she wanted. She bucked up and did what she needed to do. I liked her grit and determination. That is one thing that was good about this entire series, the heroines were all fierce in their own ways. Though Sophia ends up being too stupid to live at one point and I just couldn’t get over her idiocy.

This audiobook was told in multiple points of view though was narrated in Dual narration by Brian Meslar and Kelsey-Ann O'Dowd. I like Kelsey’s soft and feminine voice. It is perfect for Sophia, the spoiled young woman who is trying to make her own way in the world. Brian Mesler is ok, but I like a male narrator with a deep sexy voice and he didn’t have that. Neither of these narrators did a very good job at narrating the opposite sex, they were a bit annoying to say the least.

Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt so Incomplete

I’ve loved this series, but this was a disappointment. While there was character development with Jagger and Finn, the other two husbands barely had any moments in the novel. Where was her bond with Leo,especially? Did they even share a love? I kept waiting for her big Leo scene, but nope.
And omg—her immaturity was just too annoying. I didn’t buy it that Jagger and Finn would indulge her recklessness like they did.
I truly loved the other books. This not so much.

[Niki {Still a Widow but reading more} · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread 11/15/21

I don't know where my original review went.

I love this series. It's one of my favorite RHs of all time. I love this premise of being forced together by the lottery and having to work out the kinks and hopefully find love.

I love the overarching storyline, which finally comes to head in this book. It is original. It's dark and gritty, no ugliness left uncovered. It's action packed with the tension just ratcheting up as we hurtle towards the ultimate showdown. Even when the dust settles and the final scores are settled, with such heavy stakes on the line for the good guys, I had to take a breath and say, "Did they really pull it off?! Is it really done?" So entertaining!!

With that said, anybody reading this whole series has been eagerly waiting for Sophia to finally get her lottery. And of course, with the shake-up to her new family dynamic, Sophia goes off all half-cocked with a crazy plan because she thinks she's got something to prove. I was fine with all that, but I was a little let down with the execution.

This one felt slightly rushed and seemed like an afterthought. Almost as if the author was like, "oh yeah, I gotta do something for Sophia." I needed more of her with her husbands, definitely more relationship building. There was a decent amount with Finn and Jagger, but not much of anything with Mario and Leo. It was hard to believe in their feelings for each other, when they barely got any time together in the book. So I was a little disappointed with this final installment, but overall I loved this series.

There is a hint that maybe in the future there will be a spin-off or another installment with the Ambassador Kelsie going off to Colorado and the unknown. If so, I can't wait and will be the first one in line to get my copy.

[Coco.V]

🎁 Books 2-5 in the Series are FREE on Amazon today (5/7/2020)! 🎁

[Theogirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

A poor conclusion of an amazing RH series. To be honest maybe the book never had a real chance. Since her first appearance, I loathed Sophia. Guess what – I still do not like her. From spoiled Daddy’s little princess to adored wife/mother – that should not be the ultimate and sole goal in a life of a woman, not even in times of an Apocalypse.
I liked Finn Knight (a White Knight indeed) and I even started to warm up for Jagger, but the brothers Mario and Leo, well, there was no real connection, least of all love. Especially Leo felt like the fifth wheel on the car. Best part of the book? Drea's appearance.

[tortured reader ࣪ ִֶָ ⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more books 😭😭😭

[🦉Maggie Whitworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable but not as good as the others in the series.
Sophia has always been a weak character to me personally, and I didn’t feel that she improved in this .
The other characters, Finn especially excelled and improved, Jagger was a welcome addition and so strong, more could have been made o f Mario and Leo too who were barely mentioned ,Travis was excellent as always x
However it was quite a good read .

[Chappy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never really liked Sophia in the previous books. She seemed to take clueless to the next level. Now she's gone and dragged Liam with her on a fool's errand. She quickly realizes that the real world is not the fairy tale she dreamed about.
Jagger was a jerk...but he redeems himself. Liam is awesome and Maria/Leo are a good addition to the mix.

[Maria (Ri) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.6 stars

This series is not like any other reverse harem series out there. The world building is exemplary, the characters and backstory are in depth, and the storyline itself is intense. From the first book until this book, the story has sucked me in from start to finish. It is said that this story is the last of the series and this makes my heart sad.

This is the story of Sophia that has been a background character since the first book. She has always had an idealistic almost starry-eyed view on the world and in this book, she gets a new perspective. She really grows into the role of the lead character which I appreciated. I was unconvinced of her husbands until the very end. Although to be fair, I loved Finn all along. It was Jagger that won my heart in the end once I figured out what he was all about.

There are still so many directions that this series could go which makes me sad that this is going to be the end. Largely because this is truly unlike any other marriage lottery/reverse harem out there and also the fact that the author truly is that good at creating a world and storyline that is not that far from plausible in the future.

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nemesi - per Rfs
.
Ciao a tutti, cari lettori; oggi parliamo del quinto volume della serie “La lotteria del matrimonio”. Sono tutti romanzi autoconclusivi, con alternanza di pov e tutti collegati tra loro. Troverete personaggi già incontrati nei precedenti episodi della serie, ma se siete arrivati a leggere il quinto ormai sarete esperti; io ho iniziato da questo, ma devo dire di non aver trovato difficoltà ad ambientarmi con le vicissitudini raccontate nei precedenti volumi, perché l’autrice è attenta a evitare buchi di trama. L’argomento di cui tratta la serie, l’harem reverse, spesso è visto come un tabù. Ma anche se il tema è la gang bang, la storia romanzata rende tutto più tollerabile e meno brutale. Inizialmente ero titubante, mi sembrava tutto troppo crudo e forte, ma mi sono dovuta ricredere mentre progredivo con la lettura.

Il mondo di cui l’autrice ci racconta è apocalittico e distopico, un luogo dove le donne sono poche e quelle che ci sono vengono valutate con un numero, che indica gli uomini con cui sono state a letto. Sono talmente poche da essere spesso obbligate a prostituirsi dai governatori delle cittadine e portate di città in città in cambio di denaro. In questo sfondo incontriamo Sophia, una ragazza giovane, dolce e ingenua, pura (vergine, capite… più unica che rara), questo perché suo padre, governatore di una cittadina, ha gestito la sua città con regole ferree, ma giuste, e ha fatto di tutto per proteggerla. In questo mondo gli uomini possono prendere moglie tramite una lotteria, ma a Jacob’s Well, dove vive Sophia, prima di poter ottenere una moglie e partecipare alla lotteria, gli uomini sono sottoposti a due anni di controlli. Mentre Sophia è amata e coccolata, fuori dalle mura che la proteggono è in atto una guerra civile. La ragazza, che sogna di diventare una sposa fin da quando era piccola, sente di voler fare la sua parte per aiutare il padre ad aumentare le fila di combattenti che difendano la sua città. Viene ingannata da una telefonata: si offre come sposa in una cittadina perché l’uomo al telefono le ha assicurato che quella città è piena di volontari pronti a schierarsi dalla parte di suo padre in cambio di mogli per le lotterie. Così Sophia, ignorando come funzioni la vita fuori dalle mura, parte alla volta di Santa Fe; suo unico accompagnatore, l’aitante rastrellatore Finnigan, ragazzo da sempre innamorato di lei che la segue pur di non abbandonarla. Ciò che però li aspetta nella città non è minimamente quello che Sophia aveva in mente: con l’inganno viene fatta sposare a ben cinque uomini – esatto, avete capito bene: cinque – Jagger, Mario, Leo e Toby vengono scelti con la lotteria, Finnigan, invece, per fortuna lo sceglie lei stessa. Inizialmente, (ed è qui che sono stata un po’ toccata) Sophia viene iniziata al sesso, velocemente e senza molto tatto, ma continuando nella lettura ho capito che era giusto così. Non bisogna considerare il romanzo sulla base del nostro mondo di oggi, ma su quella di uno scenario parallelo, in cui l’acqua va razionata e l’elettricità è un bene di lusso per pochi, un luogo in cui un uomo ha la possibilità di incontrare una donna anche dopo mesi e spesso le donne con cui possono avere contatti hanno perso loro stesse, la passione, l’empatia, e sono solo un corpo. Gli uomini sono rozzi, maleducati e violenti.

La crescita interiore che compiono i personaggi è veramente sorprendente, non credevo possibile che la protagonista riuscisse a entrare in empatia con tre dei suoi oppressori: Mario, Leo e Jagger, eppure… sorprendente. Mi sono ritrovata a pensare addirittura che, a tratti, questo romanzo fosse dolce e romantico.

Cari lettori, chiaramente dovete prendere questo romanzo per quello che è: un libro erotico, dettagliato e spinto, (quello che in gergo viene definito trash) che però troverete leggero e scorrevole.

Tutto sommato una piacevole distrazione.

[Badh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been waiting for Sophia's book since the very first time we saw her in the first book. I know that she's been looking forward to her own lottery and for her wedding. She just knows that everything is going to be perfect. Of course, she's been living in a bubble, so there's that.

The thing with Sophia is that she has worked really hard to be happy and cheerful and to make everyone happy. She's been protected by her father since the Fall, so she really hasn't had to interact with the real world. Then, Drea shows up and takes away Sophia's daddy and she's so BAMF, that Sophia feels so much less.

I can understand where Sophia is coming from. And for all that she says she's a grown woman, she's only 19, and a very young 19 at that, so she doesn't understand how everything works. And Finn is too under her spell to actually fight her.

Jagger, Leo, and Mario are great characters. I actually adored Mario, even though we don't really get any of his POV, but he's just so perfect.

[Jo-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophia! I was waiting for her story since the beginning of this series.
As I started all I could think was "What a dumb little girl" Daddy does everything for her & with what all them other girl went through. It's like she's laughing in their faces.
Okay I get she needed to avenge her mom & then she could feel worthy of love. She really took charge of her life through it all till the end. Good job Soph! Now they're yours legally

[Ronda Thayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a little bit to get into this book, because of Sophia. I really didn't like her, but thankfully she grew on me. I've really enjoyed this book and this series. I couldn't put it down! I love Stasia Black. She is a must read author!

[Patricia Hoffstaetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book exceeded all my expectations. This is a fantastic, intriguing Reverse Harem romance and I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every page till the end, there are character crossovers but each book is complete & standalone. This book is set in a post-apocalyptic world and is about a strong, intelligent female with a positive attitude (Sophia Wolford) & the four men who become involved in her life (Finn, Jagger, Leo & Mario)
There is: drama, intrigue, suspense, twists & turns, adventure, action, enemies, secrets, determination, trust, memories, threats, deceit, betrayal, discovery, disagreements, emotional feelings, attractions, conflict, sadness, heartache, love, lust, passion, steamy scenes & a well-deserved satisfying ending.
The characters are well-developed with individual personalities and entwine well with each other, they react with varying emotions to the situations they find themselves, and this causes them to become more emotionally matured. The story-line is exceptional well-thought out and written.
I look forward to future books from this extremely talented author and would recommend this Reverse Harem Romance to people who like to read this genre, I doubt that you would be disappointed in this book.

[ChattyChik21 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated this book

Its given a two stars due to the inclusion of the other clans who i liked. I get how the author tries to rehabilitate the guys but they are awful i never once felt an iota of genuine affection aside from lust aside from Finn of course who also hated he should have tied that girl down what was he thinking and maybe mario, he was a sweety but the rest of these bastards were utter trash jagger included idgaf what happened to him. That wedding was awful that wedding night was rape and i inner thoughts and intentions are meaningless when you are molesting this woman. As for Sophia she was insipid a brat and spoiled and silly and got on my last nerves with her behavior. Even when she was given a semblance of a non-selfish personality it just felt blah. I hated this whole story. I liked Drea’s epilogue so one star for more of the perfection that is Drea

[Marian. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Luego de 4 libros que a mi parecer fueron espléndidos.. Este libro fue una decepción para mi, incluso cuando es el más oscuro de todos siento que la historia o bien el personaje de Sophie no esta bien desarrollado a comparación con nuestras otras protagonistas.

¿Lo único bueno? El segundo epílogo donde me los dieron a todos felices.

📍 Esto no quiere decir que a ustedes no les puede gustar, denle la oportunidad.


ESTE ES EL LIBRO MAS OSCURO DE TODA LA SERIE A MI PARECER, POR FAVOR LEER LOS TW Y LEERLOS CON CUIDADO.

[Motaung · Rating 4 out of 5]

SERIES REVIEW
Once in a while you come across a book or a series that totally catches you by surprise and makes you question everything you know about the world of written fiction. Marriage Raffle did a number on me. I went in with no expectations, actually that’s a lie, I went in expecting same ol’ same ol’. I was expecting nothing because lately I have been in some sort of a book slump, with the RH books that you cannot tell apart because they all have the same plot and same characters, no matter that they are written by different authors. When I came across this series, I had just spent few hours trolling the GR lists, discussions and recs for standalone RH books and series where each book can be read as standalone. I was looking for something short and sweet.

When I got came across the 1st book of this series, I didn’t even check the blurb, I just dove right in and man did I get a surprise, from the 1st page, I was hooked. This series is based on the near post-apocalyptic future where 90% of women population had died and only few immune are left. It takes place around Jacob’s Well, a survivors’ settlement where the new law is that every woman above 19 must be given in marriage to 5 raffle chosen men. Almost everything that you have seen in movies and read in books about the “End” and “Post” era happens in this series, well except for the sciency sci-fi, paranormal, supernatural and zombie stuff. Each book follows a different woman and her chosen men referred to as a “Clan” and the events surrounding their personal journey and this is told from different POVs of the MCs and in the general setting of their world events.

Each book in the series is an absolute roller coast of emotions, plot-twists, dreadful pasts, betrayals, alliances, sisterhoods, brotherhoods and everything you can think of in an action packed romance set in a post apocalypse world where women have few to no rights.

I loved everything about this series, it’s definitely going in to my Repeat-Worthy shelf.
If I had to choose the best leading lady of the series, that will be Drea "Belladonna” Valentine, hands down. My least favorite book is the last one because Sophia was just annying, whining and very childish.

[Melissa Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say I LOVE all of Stasia's Theirs to series. They are filled with strong women and super hot sexy alpha men. The on going story line will keep you entertained by book one and have you devouring the pages in each book.
Theirs to Ransom does not disappoint. Sophia is determined to try to make some changes and build an army to help her father (ERIC) and finally bring down Travis. Sophia (along with Finn) sets of to New Mexico territory as an "ambassador" to show how the marriage lottery works, giving herself up as the first wife. In exchange for men to join her fathers army.
I truly enjoyed Sophia. She has been raised differently from the other women, more sheltered and a bit naive. However, she is strong and believes in her fathers mission to bring down Travis. She is willing to sacrifice herself in the process. She goes through hell on this journey, but comes out stronger in the end.
Finn has been in love with Sophia from day one of arriving in Jacob Wells. Never telling her how he felt, he just built himself within the community in hopes to get picked for her marriage lottery. Finn escorts Sophia on her mission. In the end he gets his greatest wish and becomes a husband to Sophia.
Jagger begins as a wolf in sheeps clothing. He fixes the lottery for himself and the others who back his planes. He is strong, sexy and always in control. In the end Sophia breaks down his walls and what once was an opportunity to make money, becomes a love like no other.
The final 2 husbands are brothers Leo and Mario. Leo is full of laughs and will do anything for his brother Mario and eventually Sophia as well. Mario ( does not say in the book) maybe autistic. However he falls for Sophia hard and fast. He is a gentle giant, but fierce as hell when it comes to Sophia.
This book is action packed with a great story line and an amazing cast of characters.
5 stars!!!

[Jennifer Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll give it three stars because it was just okay

Really and truly it kind of pissed me of for the better part of the book how Sophia could be so totally clueless to what she was walking in to was beyond me. Also what is it with the author always killing off at least one husband?! It's been a while since I read the previous books so please forgive me my memory isn't the best but I believe it was Shay's story where her husband betrayed her and he got shot by Travis and died. Drea had one of her husband's betray her as well but at least those two had some what better reasons for why they turned bad guys. Poor Sophia her bad guy husband was a total psycho and what's even more jacked up is that Jagger picked him for her because he was a total D-Bag in the beginning. The way Jagger and Toby spoke about her was just horrible it made me wonder why the author decided to go so harsh with Sophia. I know everyone thought she was a clueless brat and she was in a lot of ways but dang she really got it bad in this book. The only bright spots in her story were Finn, Mario and I'll say Leo because he wasn't as big of a jerk as Jagger. Mario however was a doll I absolutely loved him! Anyways I'm really glad I finished this story the author can get a little long winded and I had to skim through the part where Sophia was being held by Travis because I just didn't care by then but it all worked out Im happy to finally know how it worked out for her so I can move on LoL I doubt I would read anymore if she does write about this other chick that Eric and Drea were so worried about at the end. It's not a horrible book I'm sure some would like it so I'll say this if you have KU check it out!

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest, here. I didn't want to read this book. I have read the previous books in this series, and for the most part have enjoyed them. However, Sophia has been one of the most annoying characters who comes across as totally vapid and TSTL. Since I have already gotten this far into the world-building, and this is the last book, I decided to go ahead and pick it up.
I get that she is pampered and sheltered, but she still does live in a post-apocalyptic world, so she shouldn't be so oblivious to what things and people are like.

The problem is that this book just leaves me with a dirty feeling. I couldn't really get into the book or wedding night at all, since it just didn't feel right. I considered skipping sections or just straight up dropping the book altogether. I liked the closeness she had with Finn at the beginning, though.
I didn't care for Jagger much initially, but at least he was gentle with Sophia on their wedding night. But after that, he seemed all over the place.

I did manage to finish this book up, with it the series. This book, much like the others, didn't really go much in depth with all the men. They were just... there. We got a little bit with Jagger and Finn, but the rest felt like they were just extra because the number of 5 was chosen, so we had to get there.

Overall, the series wasn't bad. I enjoyed the story parts of it, but the romance and spice were not necessary. I know this sounds a bit awkward of a romance book set, but the best parts of this series to me was the non-romance bits.
I probably won't read this one again, and might recommend the series to others.

[Linda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting and deliciously naughty reverse harem story and end to the standalone series
Ms. Black has been writing the most exciting and naughty reverse harem stories even before they had a category! This is just one of a long line of seductive and thrilling stories.
Naïve Sophia is bound and determined to prove that she can become more than the daughter of the Leader, that she has the gumption to do something powerful, but she can’t do it alone so she enlists the help of Finnegan. They set off for the New Mexico territory in this dystopian new world on a mission to enlist fighters for her father and promise women in return. After a traumatic event which decimated the female population, women are few so having access becomes very valuable. What Finn doesn’t know is that Soph plans on becoming one of these brides when she arrives.
Finn who had to grow up early b/c he found that life was “kill or be killed. I learned that lesson when I was 13.” His story is touching and explains his attraction to the sometimes ridiculous, spoiled “princess” Sophia.
When they are taken by men on horseback, the real “adventure” begins. It was nice to see the evolution of Sophia and her “husbands” in the story, especially Jagger and Mario. Oh. My. Word. Chapter 7 – the wedding night for this virgin. Comes with a very satisfying HEA for the book and the series. I understand there may be another standalone story about Kylie. Can’t wait to read that one! I volunteered to review an ARC of this book and it comes highly recommended.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole series has been great, and this is another fantastic addition. The fight against Travis, the newest President, is still going. Sophia, who we met in the first book, is going with Finn to get more help to fight against Travis. She decides to be the first Bride in New Mexico. However, not all is how it seems. Jagger, is the governor, and holds a quick raffle to get married to Sophia. Her husbands are Jagger, Leo, Mario and Finn. Jagger is the more dominant of the men, Leo is the funny one laid back, he will also do anything for his brother, Mario and now Sophia, Mario is sweet and falls hard and fast for Sophia and Finn is a man she has known since he was fifteen and showed up in their town. Finn has cared and liked Sophia since he first saw her. Now her three other husbands start caring for her. I don’t want to give anything away. There is secrets, lies, deception, lust/love, action and twists and turns. I have to say, this was my favorite and I recommend reading this book. This is a complete standalone, but I feel you can get more out of the series by reading them in order. This had such a fantastic and action packed storyline, that once I started I couldn’t put it down. You do get to see the characters from the previous books and see how they are doing.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been waiting for Sophia's book since this series began! Stasia did a great job finishing off this series. I love that even with the twist this one took Sophia had Finn with her all the way! This one started off very differently than the others, which is a good thing. While I hated that Sophia didn't get the wedding she was always dreaming of, it all comes full circle in the end and she ended up with the perfect husbands for her! Jagger was commanding and although he deceived Sophia, he still was the driving Alpha she needed. I loved Mario and how Sophia easily became his world, he was an amazing protector. I honestly feel that Leo git lost in this one, but he was truly a good big brother to Mario and that shined brightly for me. I loved Sophia's determination in trying to help Jacob's Well and the Republic, so her taking on Travis was epic! While a hated what Travis had done throughout the series, all the pain and turmoil he had caused for Jacob's Well, Shea, his children, Eric and Sophia, as well as the Republic, I like that he finally got his and it made for a perfect ending. Drea is right where she needs to be!!!

Thank you for writing a series that opened my eyes to something new in a unique manner ~ Well done Stasia!

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t series to end

While I was happy with the rap up, I want more. Not just Kylie’s story. How about different territories, countries (Mexico, South America, Caribbean, Canada, others? Say each series runs on similar timelines. Ending with a old/new world trade routes, and diplomatic paths opening.
With different ways of dealing with how women shortage.
One thing only briefly mentioned (the eventual death of all population without women to propagate) should be explored in one series. Especially if abused of women and lack health care will sicken, kill of more of them and cause childbirth fatalities to rise like days prior to modern meds, and gynecologist practices.
Ok, now to Sophie. Have to admit I was not a Sophie fan, I’m more a Drea, Shay type of woman. But I did admire her food and social organization skills, her hospitality and her constant optimism in face of crappy world.
I did not buy Jaggers quick turn around, his abandonment of his New Mexico world (no mention was made of it, should have sent someone to help) or Other NM places in epilogue. Especially the town they visited on border.
Loved me some Finn and the brothers.
I did end up liking her and the story by the end. Enjoyed how the plot unfolded.

[Irina Sarrió · Rating 4 out of 5]

Como ya sabéis estas novelas nos van a mostrar un mundo apocalíptico en el que apenas hay mujeres. Según la ley, en Nueva República, las pocas que quedan se deben casar con cinco hombres. Formando así lo que se llaman clanes.

Al igual que en sus predecesores, nos encontraremos a personajes muy variados y con personalidades que no se parecen nada una a la otra. La gran protagonista se llama Sophia. Ha aparecido en los otros libros y siempre he creído que era una niña de papá que no sabía nada del mundo, de hecho no tenía ni idea, pero al salir de su burbuja, nos ha mostrado que es una chica valiente y que va a hacer todo lo posible por conseguir lo que se propone.

En cuanto a la historia, he de decir que me ha gustado mucho, pero la he notado precipitada en algunos momentos. Tiene mucha acción y me gusta como se ha resuelto la trama general, pero creo que podría haber sido mucho más interesante, darle algo más de emoción. Como las entregas anteriores, es un libro fácil y rápido de leer, no se te hace pesado. También tiene escenas sexuales muy variadas y nada repetitivas. Recordad que para leer esta novela hay que tener la mente muy abierta.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 5 in the Marriage Raffle series. Can be read and enjoyed as stand-alone, but so much better if you start at the beginning of series. The secondary characters and main theme are throughout the series. Full length and told in multiple POV with HEA for this “clan”. Story takes place in the post-apocalyptic world where most women died from a virus. Jacob’s Well was founded by Sophia’s father and other than teaching her a little self-defense he has really closeted her from what is going on in the world around them. She has lived a very sheltered life and her being young and naive leads her to make horrible decisions. I do wish there was more back stories and getting to know her husbands Finn, Jagger, Leo, and Mario. I wanted more time with the five of them together and less of Sophia off trying to save the world. I also would have liked more of the story from the husbands POV. I like how the series got wrapped up in this book without any loose ends. I loved the epilogues with all of Jacob’s Well in attendance!

[2OCC Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so happy to see Sophia getbher story. It was different then I was hoping for but it in a bad way. She was so brave and I loved seeing her show that she could kick butt. I do feel like it was a lot more rushed then the other books in this series and I really wanted to see more scenes with the husbands. I don’t feel like I got to know them all as much as I wanted to. With Finn and Jagger we did bit the other two were just like there.

The steam factor was also a lot lower then I was hoping for. While the story was awesome and I loved seeing her conquer her own fears and prove she could do anything it wasn’t my favorite in this series. I just wanted more of a real connection with all the guys. With RH type books there has to be a balance with all the character and while I felt that with all the others, this one fell flat for me. I felt no real connection between her and a few of her husbands. I would read more if there was going to be more added which I’m really hoping there will. 3 stars #2OCCJD

[Terri West · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and am kinda sad it's finished. I liked the way Sophia developed in this book as she has been a bit of a pretty face but a complete airhead in previous books. Eric, her father has tried to protect her from the horrors of the outside world since the fall and as such she is ill equipped to complete her mission as ambassador outside of Jacobs Well. (Remembering she didn't tell anyone apart from Fin she's was going on this suicide mission). During this book Sophia grows up, really grows up and has to come to terms with how fucked up the world is once she's away from her safe cocoon.
My only criticism would be the lack of story round the two brothers Leo and Mario, we get a brief background and it is clear that Mario adores Sophia, it would have been nice to get to know Leo better. Jagger is seriously hot in a controlling, brooding way, although I did have my doubts at one stage. As for Fin, we're talking childhood sweethearts here, what's not to love.
I would give the book 4.5 stars.

[DeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irritated and Intrigued

Gads! Sophia really irritated me! She is described as naive repeatedly in the book, but as a 19 year old she still thinks 1) the world they now live in surely can't be as bad as everyone says; or 2) in spite of all the odds against her she is the one who will be able to overcome where others haven't. Thank goodness she is a Stasia Black character, because in real life it could have all gone to Hell in a handbag! All throughout the book, she kept making one bad decision after another. I would have to put the book down "smh." Then I'd be doing something else or thinking reading something else, and I just couldn't. This darn story would draw me back in, wondering what happened when Sophia went through with her plan, or why none of her husbands tried to stop her. I just had to find out what came next. That's Stasia's stories, though; you have to find out what happens next. You might be anticipating it, but you'll not be able to see the exact twist until it's right up on you.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

1st reading: Again with the same issues as the previous books in the series.
At least Sophia grew on me; although she was annoying as hell at the beginning of the book, by the conclusion she was bearable.
However, I don't feel any of the other characters were as well drawn as she was; neither Jagger nor Finn was particularly well developed.
It was good to see Travis finally get his comeuppance, although in a more realistic (HA!!!) story, he would have done some real damage to Sophia or Eric, if not both. In the end, however, the villain who seemed to be three-dimensional was really just a caricature of a bad guy.
The epilogue felt superfluous and overdone. Yes, everybody's got kids. Yes, Sophia finally gets her fairytale wedding. Yes, Drea makes an excellent president and the country is starting to really thrive. Blah blah blah. This could have been imparted without the ridiculous barrage of new names (of children) and of Shay going into labor at the church. Ugh. Vomitous and really unnecessary.