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Children of Vice #4
Vicious Minds: Part 1
Part one of the epic two-part conclusion to the Ruthless People and Children of Vice series…
In the end…we all lose.
How well do you think you know the Callahans?
Yes, I’m asking you. Because I know you’ve been watching. The chaos, the violence, the love, and the madness—who could look away? Not me, for sure.
My grandmother always told me…where you look is where you go.
So I ask again, how well do you think you know the Callahans? Do you really think you understand Melody, Liam, or even Ethan?
I have to wonder—will your mind be able to handle it?
We haven’t met yet, but ready or not, here I come. The true queen of Chicago.
For now, you may call me Calliope.
In the end…we all lose.
How well do you think you know the Callahans?
Yes, I’m asking you. Because I know you’ve been watching. The chaos, the violence, the love, and the madness—who could look away? Not me, for sure.
My grandmother always told me…where you look is where you go.
So I ask again, how well do you think you know the Callahans? Do you really think you understand Melody, Liam, or even Ethan?
I have to wonder—will your mind be able to handle it?
We haven’t met yet, but ready or not, here I come. The true queen of Chicago.
For now, you may call me Calliope.
358 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2019
103 people are currently reading
2097 people want to read
About the author
J.J. McAvoy
35 books5,708 followersI’m a twenty-year-old something born in Montreal, Canada but currently living in Virginia for school. I would tell you want my major is however after two years I still have no idea what I’m doing.
So I’m a writer (duh that’s how you found me), movie enthusiast, and self-proclaimed chef. I love music even though I can’t sing or dance to save my life. (That doesn’t necessarily stop me but you’ve been warned.)
I started Ruthless People the summer of 2013 in hopes of giving myself a new type of love and crime drama. I never knew so many people thought like me! I feel truly blessed to have fans like you all! Writing is my true love and having you all enjoy my words is a dream come true.
I'm on
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Youtube
So I’m a writer (duh that’s how you found me), movie enthusiast, and self-proclaimed chef. I love music even though I can’t sing or dance to save my life. (That doesn’t necessarily stop me but you’ve been warned.)
I started Ruthless People the summer of 2013 in hopes of giving myself a new type of love and crime drama. I never knew so many people thought like me! I feel truly blessed to have fans like you all! Writing is my true love and having you all enjoy my words is a dream come true.
I'm on
Tumblr
and
Youtube
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews
March 15, 2019
LIVE! | AMZ US | AMZ UK |
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! Vicious MInds, book 4 of 5. Ethan Callahan meets his match!
Books in Children of Vice series should be read in order:
Book 1: Children of Vice
Book 2: Children of Ambition
Book 3: Children of Redemption
Book 4: Vicious Minds Part 1
Book 5: Vicious Minds Part 2
The next generation of Callahan’s rule Chicago and control crime and drugs across the globe.
Vicious Minds (book 4) is the prodigal son Ethan Antonio Giovanni-Callahan, Ceann na Conairte’s time to meet his true match! In the whirlwind enemies-to-lovers they battle and fuck each other with equal measure as they fight for world dominion, legacy, family, and love…
Told from multiple POVs, is yet another roller-coaster of drama, romance, angst and suspense with quit a few shockers, victories and setbacks… while the Ruthless People trilogy was written with sarcasm, the undertone to Children of Vice is melancholy; a life in the aftermath of greatness, a product of a family ripped apart.
Story ends leading right to book 5. Vicious Minds Part 2 for the conclusion to this epic family saga.
Spellbinding! All-consuming! Shocking!
***
Hero: ★★★★★
Heroine: ★★★★★
Plot: ★★★★★
Storytelling: ★★★★★
Sexual tension: ★★★★★
Sex scenes: ★★★★
Story ending: N/A
******************************************
OVERALL RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Angst: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Darkness: | HIGH FOCUS |
Humor: | HIGH FOCUS |
Kink: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Romance: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Sex frequency: | HIGH FOCUS |
Suspense: | HIGH FOCUS |
Beta copies provided to me by author J.J. McAvoy in exchange for honest feedback & review.
LIVE! | AMZ US | AMZ UK |
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! Vicious MInds, book 4 of 5. Ethan Callahan meets his match!
Books in Children of Vice series should be read in order:
Book 1: Children of Vice
Book 2: Children of Ambition
Book 3: Children of Redemption
Book 4: Vicious Minds Part 1
Book 5: Vicious Minds Part 2
The next generation of Callahan’s rule Chicago and control crime and drugs across the globe.
Vicious Minds (book 4) is the prodigal son Ethan Antonio Giovanni-Callahan, Ceann na Conairte’s time to meet his true match! In the whirlwind enemies-to-lovers they battle and fuck each other with equal measure as they fight for world dominion, legacy, family, and love…
Told from multiple POVs, is yet another roller-coaster of drama, romance, angst and suspense with quit a few shockers, victories and setbacks… while the Ruthless People trilogy was written with sarcasm, the undertone to Children of Vice is melancholy; a life in the aftermath of greatness, a product of a family ripped apart.
Story ends leading right to book 5. Vicious Minds Part 2 for the conclusion to this epic family saga.
Spellbinding! All-consuming! Shocking!
***
Hero: ★★★★★
Heroine: ★★★★★
Plot: ★★★★★
Storytelling: ★★★★★
Sexual tension: ★★★★★
Sex scenes: ★★★★
Story ending: N/A
******************************************
OVERALL RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Angst: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Darkness: | HIGH FOCUS |
Humor: | HIGH FOCUS |
Kink: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Romance: | MEDIUM FOCUS |
Sex frequency: | HIGH FOCUS |
Suspense: | HIGH FOCUS |
Beta copies provided to me by author J.J. McAvoy in exchange for honest feedback & review.
LIVE! | AMZ US | AMZ UK |
March 19, 2019
I could not wait for this book to drop. And the moment it was there I was actually afraid to start it!
SPOILERS for the previous books included. Spoilers for this book will be hidden under the spoiler tag.
EDIT: I have no real idea what just happened. I liked the book while reading but now? I’m very angry about it. (I had to change my rating to 3 ⭐ but it feels a bit too generous if you ask me but since I rated COV 2 ⭐, I cannot go lower with this one.)
I hated it when I first read the COV, and I was very happy that she died. And I was excited for Calliope and Gigi. And while I like Calliope way more than Ivy, my excitement is mostly gone.
The majority of this book is one huge flashback, rewriting things that mainly happened in the first and third book of this series. What we thought had happened, did not. We were lied to, even in chapters from Ethan’s POV. And here my problems start. And while my evil side liked what was happening, my reader part was a bit annoyed because it seems like the author tried to rewrite what she wrote in the previous books. (And I saw several people calling the first book pointless right now. And honestly? I understand where you are coming from.)
When I started reading this, I was very excited to see what will happen, but now I feel like the author picked up the worst possible solution.
<-- This is the whole book in a nutshell.
Looking back, it seems as if the author took the first book and went on rewriting it and tried to give a new perspective to everything. But it does not work since we got Ethan’s POV in the first book. If it were only Ivy’s POV, I would be okay with this. But the whole “Ethan was lying to the readers does not work for me.
I hated Ivy, but I always felt like the author meant for her to by the endgame for Ethan. And I have no idea if she succumbed to the hate against Ivy or if she got the idea for Calliope and decided to go with it.
The Children of Vice were announced as a trilogy, it was written as a trilogy and no matter what no one will ever persuade me that this was pre-planned.
In my first review, I called this book slightly as Deus Ex Machina but honestly? It’s more like Calliope Ex Machina, she just somehow did everything. She pointed her phone at something, and she hacked into it. (I know that there is someone on the other side doing the hacking for her. But… little explanation? Not leaving everything to the last part would be nice.)
Also, she reminded me a bit of Tinker Bell, but instead of a magical powder, she was sprinkling poison everywhere.
I don’t know… I liked it while reading, but now I’m very annoyed by this book. The main problem for me with this book is that it feels a bit like fan fiction or as if the author wanted to change her work, but it’s hard to rewrite something that was already published.
I would just say, read her Ruthless series which is wonderful. Children of Vice were over-all just mediocre, and if she’s trying to save it, then she’s failing.
Also, it was mentioned in my now scratched review, but I have to mention it again, the editing of this series is getting worse or what?! Errors and typos were always in all series by this author (along with continuity errors – like the age of the characters, what someone was wearing in the same scene etc.) but this book? I even had to re-read sentences to make sure if I understood them correctly. And, this is not on the author since her work is edited, the editor dropped the bomb and the author should ask for money back.
And I already loved where the book was going.
However, the "past" part was a bit too long and dragged out, and I sort of wished it would end finally. Vicious Minds were supposed to be one book, but because of the length, the author split it in two. And I have to wonder. Did the book suffer because of it? (I'm not even thinking about the terrible wait we have in front of us!) What I mean is that if the book was whole, I believe that a chunk of the "past" part would be cut out of the story and maybe that would help with the fluency of the story.
When I started reading the Children of Vice series, I hated the first one. I rated it 2* mainly because Ivy was just a waste of space and Ethan was not living up to my expectations. And since Ivy is now gone and we are getting a new perspective on the events from the first book, I'm happier, and it makes more sense. However, at the same time, I have to say that it is obvious that the author did not plan on this book from the beginning because it's an absolute turn from the beginning and now the actions are interpreted differently but not always it works. But seeing how much I hated Ivy, I don't care. She's gone, that's all I needed. (view spoiler)
Calliope is a fantastic character! Well, it's not hard to be better than Ivy, but still, she is wonderful. (view spoiler)
I wish there was a bit more on the present story, but I guess we will get that in the next book.
I'm sad that there was not a bit more of Gigi.
However, this book was full of twists, and I have no idea what's going to happen next! (view spoiler)
Sometimes Calliope seemed a bit like Deus ex machina. So, I hope this will be explained as well in the next book.
I cannot not mention the several typos I found in the book.
All in all, this is somewhere between three and four ⭐but since Ivy is gone, I'll go with four.
March 18, 2019
I am officially pissed off by this author.
Look don't get me wrong. The reason I gave this 3 Star because I enjoyed the book and do want to read the second part but the way author is going on with this series is just so I don't know wierd and somewhat arrogant.
Firstly she keeps extending the series for no reason and secondly this book was totally a new addition because you are definitely lying if you want me to believe that Ethan and ivy were not true. In the first book Ethan's p.o.v was a very good telltale and even if not that, The way he was between the sheets with ivy doesn't make me believe his love for calliope at all.
This is seriously too stupid if they betrayed each other and waited so long just to bring his parents out so that he can shout in their faces "Hah! Who's the winner now" i mean not even psychos are this free and childish.
This book was nothing but bunch of nonsense. I mean I know this is fiction but this was too baseless for me to fall for all of it.
So definitely this was a new idea and out of the blue. she adds all this just to make us go "wow" which failed obviously.
I mean this is def not romance because heroine was standing on the sidelines while hero fucked and married other girls.
So sorry but I don't believe this was the original plan.
Now I wasn't attached to ivy and was also disappointed in her but this was all too cruel.
I felt that the author just told me that book 1 was a joke.
I am probably not making sense but I am really annoyed.
Frankly I used to love this author but this stunt was not my favourite.
But yeah kiddos to the author for making me atleast read this series.
I was not going to read this book because i was already done with it but my friend forced me and now I am glad I gave it a chance but still pissed off.
Yup I know I am not making this sense so does this series.
This series are not making sense at all.
But this author is bending it in a way that you just have to go with it.
Bye. I am confused myself.
Thankyou.
:)
Look don't get me wrong. The reason I gave this 3 Star because I enjoyed the book and do want to read the second part but the way author is going on with this series is just so I don't know wierd and somewhat arrogant.
Firstly she keeps extending the series for no reason and secondly this book was totally a new addition because you are definitely lying if you want me to believe that Ethan and ivy were not true. In the first book Ethan's p.o.v was a very good telltale and even if not that, The way he was between the sheets with ivy doesn't make me believe his love for calliope at all.
This is seriously too stupid if they betrayed each other and waited so long just to bring his parents out so that he can shout in their faces "Hah! Who's the winner now" i mean not even psychos are this free and childish.
This book was nothing but bunch of nonsense. I mean I know this is fiction but this was too baseless for me to fall for all of it.
So definitely this was a new idea and out of the blue. she adds all this just to make us go "wow" which failed obviously.
I mean this is def not romance because heroine was standing on the sidelines while hero fucked and married other girls.
So sorry but I don't believe this was the original plan.
Now I wasn't attached to ivy and was also disappointed in her but this was all too cruel.
I felt that the author just told me that book 1 was a joke.
I am probably not making sense but I am really annoyed.
Frankly I used to love this author but this stunt was not my favourite.
But yeah kiddos to the author for making me atleast read this series.
I was not going to read this book because i was already done with it but my friend forced me and now I am glad I gave it a chance but still pissed off.
Yup I know I am not making this sense so does this series.
This series are not making sense at all.
But this author is bending it in a way that you just have to go with it.
Bye. I am confused myself.
Thankyou.
:)
March 16, 2019
I’m sorry but I found this twist absolutely messy.
Warning for SPOILERS and rant ahead
What was even the point of Children of Vice after reading this?? Building up Ethan and Ivy’s relationship, killing Ivy off and Ethan mourning for her and then all of a sudden, in Vicious Minds everything turned out to be a huge “Haha got’cha”!
I felt that this turning point was a decision made very late because when you look back at it in Children of Vice through Ethan’s POV vs Ethan’s POV in Vicious Minds - it’s like complete 2 different people in alternative universe.
I’m now being forced to believe Ethan and Calliope planned this whole mastermind from day 1.
Oh and now I can’t even re-read Children of Vice anymore (which I really enjoyed back then) because it’s all a big fat lie!!
And I’m so fucking tired of everyone calling Ivy weak!!! I genuinely liked her and she was strong in so many more ways.., it doesn’t have to be about being psychotic that shoot people left and right. I accepted Melody just fine and I didn’t need another, thank you very much. And to think and read that Ethan and Calliope used for her their sick plans makes me so fucking angry. She didn’t deserve any of this at all.
I’m so fucking done with this. I was ready to give this story a benefit of a doubt but looks like I’m the minority here.
Warning for SPOILERS and rant ahead
What was even the point of Children of Vice after reading this?? Building up Ethan and Ivy’s relationship, killing Ivy off and Ethan mourning for her and then all of a sudden, in Vicious Minds everything turned out to be a huge “Haha got’cha”!
I felt that this turning point was a decision made very late because when you look back at it in Children of Vice through Ethan’s POV vs Ethan’s POV in Vicious Minds - it’s like complete 2 different people in alternative universe.
I’m now being forced to believe Ethan and Calliope planned this whole mastermind from day 1.
Oh and now I can’t even re-read Children of Vice anymore (which I really enjoyed back then) because it’s all a big fat lie!!
And I’m so fucking tired of everyone calling Ivy weak!!! I genuinely liked her and she was strong in so many more ways.., it doesn’t have to be about being psychotic that shoot people left and right. I accepted Melody just fine and I didn’t need another, thank you very much. And to think and read that Ethan and Calliope used for her their sick plans makes me so fucking angry. She didn’t deserve any of this at all.
I’m so fucking done with this. I was ready to give this story a benefit of a doubt but looks like I’m the minority here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2019
Preface
* I wanted to, after book three see what author would do with the story, I was equal part excited and scared
* Important to say this is not standalone
* This is also not a romance, not typical kind IMO
After ending of book three I was all kind of.. confused, intrigued, elated and frankly I was not Ivy's fan so...
So she is killed... and we get brand new Ethan's book....
And what is supposed to be one book now is divided in two parts series finale.
In this book we get retelling of the past from new perspective and by new perspective I mean everything that happened before is basically a lie because author decided it so.
And that is her right. She can do whatever she wants to do, it's her book. And don't get me wrong J.J. writes well I read this in one sitting...
I just wish...
I wish she wrote about someone else and left Callahan's and Giovanni's the hell alone. Three books ago...
We all love Melody and Liam, and frankly I never expected their kids to be them nor their books to be like Ruthless series. But I guess author decided after killing Ivy to give Ethan a new heroine, a mini me version of Mel. Everything in this book how they act, what they do is painful copy cat of Mel and Liam...even the "courtship", the fighting, shooting with new added poisoning...
Calliope is not badass heroine. She is already seen and wanna be Melody. I was not here for it.
I don't buy the fact that this was plan with the plot line all along. Clearly this was decided somewhere while writing book three.
If I thought before that three books leading into this book were prologue...well then this is chapter one...one big flashback because hardly anything happens in this book in present time.
So we are again left waiting what will happen in Callahan clan.
Will I read book 5?
Probably...
What I wish for it...I wish Mel and Liam to come back and whoop their asses, because they deserve it.
There is only one queen in my eye..#sorrynotsorry
2,5 stars
* I wanted to, after book three see what author would do with the story, I was equal part excited and scared
* Important to say this is not standalone
* This is also not a romance, not typical kind IMO
After ending of book three I was all kind of.. confused, intrigued, elated and frankly I was not Ivy's fan so...
So she is killed... and we get brand new Ethan's book....
And what is supposed to be one book now is divided in two parts series finale.
In this book we get retelling of the past from new perspective and by new perspective I mean everything that happened before is basically a lie because author decided it so.
And that is her right. She can do whatever she wants to do, it's her book. And don't get me wrong J.J. writes well I read this in one sitting...
I just wish...
I wish she wrote about someone else and left Callahan's and Giovanni's the hell alone. Three books ago...
We all love Melody and Liam, and frankly I never expected their kids to be them nor their books to be like Ruthless series. But I guess author decided after killing Ivy to give Ethan a new heroine, a mini me version of Mel. Everything in this book how they act, what they do is painful copy cat of Mel and Liam...even the "courtship", the fighting, shooting with new added poisoning...
Calliope is not badass heroine. She is already seen and wanna be Melody. I was not here for it.
I don't buy the fact that this was plan with the plot line all along. Clearly this was decided somewhere while writing book three.
If I thought before that three books leading into this book were prologue...well then this is chapter one...one big flashback because hardly anything happens in this book in present time.
So we are again left waiting what will happen in Callahan clan.
Will I read book 5?
Probably...
What I wish for it...I wish Mel and Liam to come back and whoop their asses, because they deserve it.
There is only one queen in my eye..#sorrynotsorry
2,5 stars
March 17, 2019
I LOATHE CALLIOPE!!
March 15, 2019
Very disappointed and angry with JJ McAvoy I didn’t like the way she made Ethan use Ivy like that such a let down. I couldn’t even finish the book what was the point of writing Ethan and Ivy book if you were just going to kill Ivy off . I really liked Ivy and Ethan book so angry 😡😡😡
March 18, 2019
Alright, I guess I'm going to be the minority and that's fine.
I'm not convinced and contrary to what the author posted on her social media, it's not because I read it too fast either.
See, I went back and read Ethan's POV from Children of Vice, to see if there was even a hint to someone else and there isn't. Which makes me believe the author thought she could do better than this and decided to change things up - AFTER she wrote the first book.
It would have made this book more believable if there were at least a few bread crumbs dropped, but there was none. The first book was unnecessary and I'm kinda pissed I even read it. What was the point?
I feel like this book was supposed to give me, the reader, some big understanding of how ruthless Ethan could be. All it did was make me not like his character anymore. I predicted this series would go out with a bang, it's not. For me, it's going out with an eye-roll.
I'm kind of just over it now.
Also, this book has a ton of errors in it. I am FAR from a grammar whiz, but even I saw a few per chapter - so if I noticed, then you know it's bad.
I'm not convinced and contrary to what the author posted on her social media, it's not because I read it too fast either.
See, I went back and read Ethan's POV from Children of Vice, to see if there was even a hint to someone else and there isn't. Which makes me believe the author thought she could do better than this and decided to change things up - AFTER she wrote the first book.
It would have made this book more believable if there were at least a few bread crumbs dropped, but there was none. The first book was unnecessary and I'm kinda pissed I even read it. What was the point?
I feel like this book was supposed to give me, the reader, some big understanding of how ruthless Ethan could be. All it did was make me not like his character anymore. I predicted this series would go out with a bang, it's not. For me, it's going out with an eye-roll.
I'm kind of just over it now.
Also, this book has a ton of errors in it. I am FAR from a grammar whiz, but even I saw a few per chapter - so if I noticed, then you know it's bad.
Read
March 17, 2019I remain unconvinced. I tried to be trusting, and at the end of the day if the author is happy with where she took the story, then *slow clap* for her.
If someone is willing to refund my money for book one, then I will happily give this book five stars, but since this book essentially turns that one into a huge pointless joke, I’m giving this a DFC . As in I don’t fucking care to read anymore books that could possibly end up being pointless.
If someone is willing to refund my money for book one, then I will happily give this book five stars, but since this book essentially turns that one into a huge pointless joke, I’m giving this a DFC . As in I don’t fucking care to read anymore books that could possibly end up being pointless.
May 9, 2020
I think, I am in the minority. I didn't want to give this low rating bcz, I like this author. But, I would be lying if I gave more stars..I didn't like this book.
This is going to be my RANTING. I don't talk this negative generally about the books because I appreciate authors. But, this struck my nerve & I couldn't stop myself...
Everyone is entitled to their opinion & this is mine.
I don't know what to say. I knew, I wouldn't like this..But, still I was hoping..I was waiting to read.
In the previous books, I liked Ethan so much. I liked the first book, I liked Ethan & Ivy. I know, Ivy wasn't like them. I know she wasn't strong like them all, But, I still really really liked her. After reading this book, I really don't like Ethan now..I don't know. I agree this is Mafia book & Liam & Mel had done vicious things too..
But, what Ethan & Calliope had done, it didn't get to me..It didn't mind boggle me. I really felt like this book was made to shock people & think what a player Ethan was..But, it didn't impress me..Also, I wasn't much interested in their so called romance. I didn't feel anything for their romance. I really wanted to just get over with the book..Skimmed too, with their romance.
I still had this ache while reading, because I couldn't forget Ivy. She really totally loved him & he just set her up from the beginning & killed her. This really broke my heart. She thought he loved her too. I really wish, she got to know that he set her up before she died. She died thinking he loved her. I didn't like him anymore.
If I could, I would have brought Ivy back somehow, then, she would play the game too for the betrayal..
.Also, he slept with Klarissa(or what ever her name was) & then married Ivy & was always having sex with Ivy. Please, if he really loved Calliope madly, how did he even keep on having sex with others to that extent & what was all this for? To bring Liam & Mel out? Really? 🙄 *Big Eye Roll* All this stupid planning of 5 years was all unnecessary..
Also, he is planning to take revenge on his parents? Really? Huh!!
Liam could never think of doing this with his parents though. I am really interested in Liam & Mel now. I really want them to prove that they are still the best.
I really loved Ruthless series & then I liked Children series(not as much as Ruthless, but still liked it) ..But, this book made me😐 The cover of this book is like Ruthless people i.e Liam & Melody. Ohh please! Ethan & Calliope can never be like them. Ethan says at one point that him & Calliope are far too smart & better than Liam & Calliope & I was eye rolling..😐
I will only read the next part because I want to know what Liam & Mel are going to do...
I can say & say but, I will just stop now...I really need to read something to get this off my chest now😐
This is going to be my RANTING. I don't talk this negative generally about the books because I appreciate authors. But, this struck my nerve & I couldn't stop myself...
Everyone is entitled to their opinion & this is mine.
I don't know what to say. I knew, I wouldn't like this..But, still I was hoping..I was waiting to read.
In the previous books, I liked Ethan so much. I liked the first book, I liked Ethan & Ivy. I know, Ivy wasn't like them. I know she wasn't strong like them all, But, I still really really liked her. After reading this book, I really don't like Ethan now..I don't know. I agree this is Mafia book & Liam & Mel had done vicious things too..
But, what Ethan & Calliope had done, it didn't get to me..It didn't mind boggle me. I really felt like this book was made to shock people & think what a player Ethan was..But, it didn't impress me..Also, I wasn't much interested in their so called romance. I didn't feel anything for their romance. I really wanted to just get over with the book..Skimmed too, with their romance.
I still had this ache while reading, because I couldn't forget Ivy. She really totally loved him & he just set her up from the beginning & killed her. This really broke my heart. She thought he loved her too. I really wish, she got to know that he set her up before she died. She died thinking he loved her. I didn't like him anymore.
If I could, I would have brought Ivy back somehow, then, she would play the game too for the betrayal..
.Also, he slept with Klarissa(or what ever her name was) & then married Ivy & was always having sex with Ivy. Please, if he really loved Calliope madly, how did he even keep on having sex with others to that extent & what was all this for? To bring Liam & Mel out? Really? 🙄 *Big Eye Roll* All this stupid planning of 5 years was all unnecessary..
Also, he is planning to take revenge on his parents? Really? Huh!!
Liam could never think of doing this with his parents though. I am really interested in Liam & Mel now. I really want them to prove that they are still the best.
I really loved Ruthless series & then I liked Children series(not as much as Ruthless, but still liked it) ..But, this book made me😐 The cover of this book is like Ruthless people i.e Liam & Melody. Ohh please! Ethan & Calliope can never be like them. Ethan says at one point that him & Calliope are far too smart & better than Liam & Calliope & I was eye rolling..😐
I will only read the next part because I want to know what Liam & Mel are going to do...
I can say & say but, I will just stop now...I really need to read something to get this off my chest now😐
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2019
1 stars
What a disappointment lol. I don't know why I'm surprised though.
Don't read ahead. Contains spoilers. A bitch is mad.
The plot is kind of pathetic. The fact that everyone was trying so hard to make Ivy seem weak was laughable to me. Just so they could sell the new h. That said, What I think happened is that the author was not happy for some reason about how Ethan's book turned out even though alot of the readers did like it and decided to give him a new heroine and make her seem more like melody. I don't understand how there was not even an inclination or even a little clue about what Ethan was actually planning in the first book if that was the case. In Ethan's POV in the book he clearly loves Ivy. Honestly, I hated the way the author made ivy's story turn out. I didn't enjoy any of it. It was stupid and makes me wonder if the author is just after $$$.
No one trusts anyone, no one is loyal in the book and this series is nothing like Ruthless people. J.J. McAvoy has definitely lost the spark in her writing. I know I said this on my last review too but I reaaaallllyyyy don't think I will be reading the next one.
What a disappointment lol. I don't know why I'm surprised though.
Don't read ahead. Contains spoilers. A bitch is mad.
The plot is kind of pathetic. The fact that everyone was trying so hard to make Ivy seem weak was laughable to me. Just so they could sell the new h. That said, What I think happened is that the author was not happy for some reason about how Ethan's book turned out even though alot of the readers did like it and decided to give him a new heroine and make her seem more like melody. I don't understand how there was not even an inclination or even a little clue about what Ethan was actually planning in the first book if that was the case. In Ethan's POV in the book he clearly loves Ivy. Honestly, I hated the way the author made ivy's story turn out. I didn't enjoy any of it. It was stupid and makes me wonder if the author is just after $$$.
No one trusts anyone, no one is loyal in the book and this series is nothing like Ruthless people. J.J. McAvoy has definitely lost the spark in her writing. I know I said this on my last review too but I reaaaallllyyyy don't think I will be reading the next one.
March 17, 2019
I usually love JJ McAvoy's books and her ability to write strong female characters. Calliope is exactly that but my problem with this book was that it made no sense and did not connect the dots to the previous books. This is a series of books and not a standalone! The author claims to have done this BUT I think she tried to create something unique or she changed her mind with the storyline after book 1 and things just went very very wrong! COV is completely a waste of a read now! Why would an author do that? It was actually a good book but now totally pointless.
I reread Children of Vice and nowhere in that book do you see that there's another storyline happening. Ethan seemed very into Ivy (if not in love with her) and their moments together seemed real and not fake as it was portrayed in this book. I mean he was going on about how she's his and so beautiful, he felt awful about what happened to her in prison and was so hurt when she had a miscarriage. His POV didn't show a hint of another woman and him comparing Ivy to someone else. I mean WTF. I didn't care if Ivy lived or died but I do care about books making sense if I'm going to invest time and money in them and this one failed badly. As a series, it's shocking that we've invested into this and this is the product we received.
Ethan seemed bipolar and so weak in this book. Calliope was clearly running the show. Really!! This whole book felt forced. It was looooooong and tedious and contradicted the first couple of books! I think I am completely over this series.
There were also way too many spelling errors and missing words and prepositions. She takes a long time to release her books so you would think they'd go through a proper edit before being published.
Another thing that annoys me is this author's rants about her books not being turned into a movie or series. I get that she has goals and she's writing for a bigger objective but it comes across as so arrogant. Plus if she writes books like this that make no sense to her other books, I have no idea how she'll make it that far.
She was also ranting about the lack of preorders of this book. If you want people to stay interested, maybe launch ur books closer together like most other authors especially if there's a chiffhanger. And maybe beta test your books before u change direction so drastically that the story no longer makes sense. There was definitely a different way to approach this book and Calliope in a way that made more sense.
She also always goes on and on about her books being leaked and has issues giving arcs and stuff. This is a global issue and is probably not going away but if you build a nice fanbase and treat your fans with care, they will buy your books and support you. I don't feel this from this author. There are some other authors out there that really nurture their fanbase and they reap the rewards from that. So yes pay attention to your fans and be humble about it!
Would I recommend this series? Nope! I'd recommend Ruthless People though.
I reread Children of Vice and nowhere in that book do you see that there's another storyline happening. Ethan seemed very into Ivy (if not in love with her) and their moments together seemed real and not fake as it was portrayed in this book. I mean he was going on about how she's his and so beautiful, he felt awful about what happened to her in prison and was so hurt when she had a miscarriage. His POV didn't show a hint of another woman and him comparing Ivy to someone else. I mean WTF. I didn't care if Ivy lived or died but I do care about books making sense if I'm going to invest time and money in them and this one failed badly. As a series, it's shocking that we've invested into this and this is the product we received.
Ethan seemed bipolar and so weak in this book. Calliope was clearly running the show. Really!! This whole book felt forced. It was looooooong and tedious and contradicted the first couple of books! I think I am completely over this series.
There were also way too many spelling errors and missing words and prepositions. She takes a long time to release her books so you would think they'd go through a proper edit before being published.
Another thing that annoys me is this author's rants about her books not being turned into a movie or series. I get that she has goals and she's writing for a bigger objective but it comes across as so arrogant. Plus if she writes books like this that make no sense to her other books, I have no idea how she'll make it that far.
She was also ranting about the lack of preorders of this book. If you want people to stay interested, maybe launch ur books closer together like most other authors especially if there's a chiffhanger. And maybe beta test your books before u change direction so drastically that the story no longer makes sense. There was definitely a different way to approach this book and Calliope in a way that made more sense.
She also always goes on and on about her books being leaked and has issues giving arcs and stuff. This is a global issue and is probably not going away but if you build a nice fanbase and treat your fans with care, they will buy your books and support you. I don't feel this from this author. There are some other authors out there that really nurture their fanbase and they reap the rewards from that. So yes pay attention to your fans and be humble about it!
Would I recommend this series? Nope! I'd recommend Ruthless People though.
March 15, 2019
6 vicious stars
Oh my god. OH MY fucking GOD!
J.J. McAvoy is a fucking GENIUS, I'm telling you.
I don't even know what to do with myself. I have to admit that I really, really liked Ivy, but I fucking LOVE Calliope. I am actually OBSESSED with her. She's insane, funny, sassy, strong and totally badass. She did remind me of Melody, but she is very different. She's honestly one of the best female characters I've EVER read. She is just so fucking lovable. I feel like she's a much, much BETTER match to Ethan. These two are truly and insanely (pun intended) PERFECT together.
I honestly can't wait for you to meet Calliope . Vicious Minds is hands down my favourite book of 2019. Trust me, you are not fucking ready for this thrilling, gasp-shocking, breathtaking, mind-blowing, epic MASTERPIECE!
It's LIVE! Get your copy right this fucking minute!
Amazon ➜ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N1VZ8RZ/
iBooks ➜ https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/...
Nook ➜ https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/viciou...
Kobo ➜ https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/vici...
Google play ➜ https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
*ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.*
The Children of Vice series:
➜ Ethan's story
➜ Donatella's story
➜ Wyatt's story
➜ Ethan & Calliope's story (Part 1)
➜ Ethan & Calliope's story (Part 2)
(Full Review To Come)
“She didn't seem like the type of person who had any real darkness in her soul and yet her actions and words said otherwise. How she was two things at once? Innocent and vicious.”
Oh my god. OH MY fucking GOD!
J.J. McAvoy is a fucking GENIUS, I'm telling you.
I don't even know what to do with myself. I have to admit that I really, really liked Ivy, but I fucking LOVE Calliope. I am actually OBSESSED with her. She's insane, funny, sassy, strong and totally badass. She did remind me of Melody, but she is very different. She's honestly one of the best female characters I've EVER read. She is just so fucking lovable. I feel like she's a much, much BETTER match to Ethan. These two are truly and insanely (pun intended) PERFECT together.
I honestly can't wait for you to meet Calliope . Vicious Minds is hands down my favourite book of 2019. Trust me, you are not fucking ready for this thrilling, gasp-shocking, breathtaking, mind-blowing, epic MASTERPIECE!
It's LIVE! Get your copy right this fucking minute!
Amazon ➜ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N1VZ8RZ/
iBooks ➜ https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/...
Nook ➜ https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/viciou...
Kobo ➜ https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/vici...
Google play ➜ https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
*ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.*
The Children of Vice series:
➜ Ethan's story
➜ Donatella's story
➜ Wyatt's story
➜ Ethan & Calliope's story (Part 1)
➜ Ethan & Calliope's story (Part 2)(Full Review To Come)
December 9, 2019
Conflicting emotions with this.
I was not invested in Ethan and Calliope at all...it’s like introducing a new character on a show and coupling them up with the main out of nowhere. She came out of fucking nowhere!
With Melody and Liam, there was so much passion, heat, drive and angst - the bickering, the pull & push - it worked and made you want to root for them. For lack of a better word, their romance and chemistry was consistent and you could see it developing into an intense unconditional love.
The back and forth from past to present - it slowed down any progress or flow. I skimmed through parts. I can’t stress enough how exhausting it is reading some of it.
I expected Ethan to be ruthless and uncaring, but not to the point of ridding off Ivy and being unashamed of it - Bit disappointed that she was used and ridiculed. Misleading given how the the first book of the series showed Ethan and Ivy as kids and their backstory. A waste really. Would’ve been a great opportunity to grow her character into a badass. Get Ethan back for the shit he pulled on her.
Idk if I will be finishing the series - it’s like watching a drama and they kill off your fave character. It sucks.
I was not invested in Ethan and Calliope at all...it’s like introducing a new character on a show and coupling them up with the main out of nowhere. She came out of fucking nowhere!
With Melody and Liam, there was so much passion, heat, drive and angst - the bickering, the pull & push - it worked and made you want to root for them. For lack of a better word, their romance and chemistry was consistent and you could see it developing into an intense unconditional love.
The back and forth from past to present - it slowed down any progress or flow. I skimmed through parts. I can’t stress enough how exhausting it is reading some of it.
I expected Ethan to be ruthless and uncaring, but not to the point of ridding off Ivy and being unashamed of it - Bit disappointed that she was used and ridiculed. Misleading given how the the first book of the series showed Ethan and Ivy as kids and their backstory. A waste really. Would’ve been a great opportunity to grow her character into a badass. Get Ethan back for the shit he pulled on her.
Idk if I will be finishing the series - it’s like watching a drama and they kill off your fave character. It sucks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2019
This was underwhelming for me.
So you’re telling me that the entire time Ethan has had an entire family on the side? That he hid so well from the entire world. And he truly isn’t as big and bad as we assumed bc really Calliope has been doing all the dirty work?
Idk. It just wasn’t what I expected at all. I kept thinking, oh so Ethan has amnesia and forgot about his kid. But nope he knew about her and was good not being around.
Plus his soulmate, his freaking soulmate is in the shadows and he’s over here having sex in dressing rooms with another woman! I get it he was “acting” Calli was okay with it, but in book 1 Ethan’s mind was on how different he felt with Ivy, how she made him smile in a way he never had! And now this book boom it was all lies.
Idk. For me it didn’t work.
So you’re telling me that the entire time Ethan has had an entire family on the side? That he hid so well from the entire world. And he truly isn’t as big and bad as we assumed bc really Calliope has been doing all the dirty work?
Idk. It just wasn’t what I expected at all. I kept thinking, oh so Ethan has amnesia and forgot about his kid. But nope he knew about her and was good not being around.
Plus his soulmate, his freaking soulmate is in the shadows and he’s over here having sex in dressing rooms with another woman! I get it he was “acting” Calli was okay with it, but in book 1 Ethan’s mind was on how different he felt with Ivy, how she made him smile in a way he never had! And now this book boom it was all lies.
Idk. For me it didn’t work.
March 16, 2019
★6 Stars! Vicious minds... Is without a doubt in my mind one of the best bloody, ruthless, sinful, intense, suspenseful, sexy, intoxicating, edge of your seat crime based series I have ever read!
Rating: { ★★★★★★ }
“The world was going to fear Calliope and I. No one or nothing was going to get in our way…not even our own feelings.”
Long live the KING & QUEEN!
I have been reading this series for years now and I am still blown away and speechless every time a book is released. I continue to make the mistake of underestimating, not intentionally of course, JJ and her brilliance...but never again! JJ is a genius and her writing is like no other! I am in shook to the core with all the twist and turns and new revelations, I have no words. There is no coming back from this book. I question everything and everyone's motives...no one is safe and no one is truly loyal but only to themselves.
This series will drive you insane!
“This is what I meant: one minute he was sweet, the next he was a murderous savage who’d kill anyone, young or old, to protect his family, then he could be devilishly tempting.”
Ethan Callahan
Ethan continues to take my break away!
I have always said and will continue to say that Ethan is the storm no one will expect or see coming.
He is the storm.
The vulture.
The predator.
The corrupt.
The wicked and sinful.
The feared, respected and despised.
He continues to show us that he is ruthless, merciless, capable, cold and calculated, strategic, smart/intelligent, and one that should never be underestimated.
He is a KING and I will gladly bow to him!
“When the Grim Reaper asks for nothing now it’s because she will be collecting everything in the future.”
Calliope Seraphina Orsini.
Calliope. Calliope. Calliope!
I love everything last thing about her.
I am obsessed with her.
Ethan met his match with her but most of the time it feels like he's out of her league.
She is the epitome of cold-blooded, savage and insane! She's dangerous and deceiving. She uses everyone as a pawn in her games. She wants what she wants and never fear the consequences.
She's broken, irrational, funny, honest, strong. chaotic but oh so lovable and even despite her flaws she’s everything you want be but everything you will never be!
She's the QUEEN!
I need Part 2 as soon as possible!
Rating: { ★★★★★★ }
“The world was going to fear Calliope and I. No one or nothing was going to get in our way…not even our own feelings.”
Long live the KING & QUEEN!
I have been reading this series for years now and I am still blown away and speechless every time a book is released. I continue to make the mistake of underestimating, not intentionally of course, JJ and her brilliance...but never again! JJ is a genius and her writing is like no other! I am in shook to the core with all the twist and turns and new revelations, I have no words. There is no coming back from this book. I question everything and everyone's motives...no one is safe and no one is truly loyal but only to themselves.
This series will drive you insane!
“This is what I meant: one minute he was sweet, the next he was a murderous savage who’d kill anyone, young or old, to protect his family, then he could be devilishly tempting.”
Ethan Callahan
Ethan continues to take my break away!
I have always said and will continue to say that Ethan is the storm no one will expect or see coming.
He is the storm.
The vulture.
The predator.
The corrupt.
The wicked and sinful.
The feared, respected and despised.
He continues to show us that he is ruthless, merciless, capable, cold and calculated, strategic, smart/intelligent, and one that should never be underestimated.
He is a KING and I will gladly bow to him!
“When the Grim Reaper asks for nothing now it’s because she will be collecting everything in the future.”
Calliope Seraphina Orsini.
Calliope. Calliope. Calliope!
I love everything last thing about her.
I am obsessed with her.
Ethan met his match with her but most of the time it feels like he's out of her league.
She is the epitome of cold-blooded, savage and insane! She's dangerous and deceiving. She uses everyone as a pawn in her games. She wants what she wants and never fear the consequences.
She's broken, irrational, funny, honest, strong. chaotic but oh so lovable and even despite her flaws she’s everything you want be but everything you will never be!
She's the QUEEN!
I need Part 2 as soon as possible!
March 21, 2019
Disappointing.
I guess I'm in the minority here with this series. I absolutely adored Ruthless people, so much action, suspense, and a love story that kept me on my toes. Liam & Melody are a power couple no one can mess with.
But. . .
I thought the Callahan family had each-others backs. Loyalty meant everything. But I guess I was wrong. I knew where this story was going from the get-go. Calliope and Ethan's "love story" was not convincing at ALL. Basically what happened in the previous books, was all a lie. Ethan is a so called mastermind that came up with this miraculous plan with his so called love of his life, Calliope.
Marry Ivy, just to kill her off later.
He want's to show his parents just how ruthless he is.
***
I don't buy that this so called plan... was set from the very beginning. At least give a POV of Ethan from Children of Vice giving the readers a hint that it's not all that it seems. I'm not hating on the author, but this book was all over the place. Don't even get me started on the ending. . .
I guess I'm in the minority here with this series. I absolutely adored Ruthless people, so much action, suspense, and a love story that kept me on my toes. Liam & Melody are a power couple no one can mess with.
But. . .
I thought the Callahan family had each-others backs. Loyalty meant everything. But I guess I was wrong. I knew where this story was going from the get-go. Calliope and Ethan's "love story" was not convincing at ALL. Basically what happened in the previous books, was all a lie. Ethan is a so called mastermind that came up with this miraculous plan with his so called love of his life, Calliope.
Marry Ivy, just to kill her off later.
He want's to show his parents just how ruthless he is.
***
I don't buy that this so called plan... was set from the very beginning. At least give a POV of Ethan from Children of Vice giving the readers a hint that it's not all that it seems. I'm not hating on the author, but this book was all over the place. Don't even get me started on the ending. . .
March 26, 2019
Oh. My. God! That was ahh-mazing!!! This book, this series really, are great examples of why i love to read. My advice is to start at the very beginning with Ruthless People and go through both series. My only complaint is having to wait until the end of the year for the second part.
March 16, 2019
I can’t believe what I just read.
I had to start skipping parts of the book becauss it doesn’t make any sense at all. All this time Ethan was fake liking ivy ? Was that the best the author could come up with? I’m so disappointed with the author.
I had to start skipping parts of the book becauss it doesn’t make any sense at all. All this time Ethan was fake liking ivy ? Was that the best the author could come up with? I’m so disappointed with the author.
May 9, 2020
I felt this book was trying too hard when it came to Ethan & Calliope. It was a very poor Copy/Paste version of Melody and Liam.
And I totally figured out the twist from the end early on too! I knew she wasn't to be trusted.
Even though I didn't really enjoy or care for the main characters, I'll still check out the last book to see how everything plays out.
Side note: The grammar errors are bad. Needs heavy editing!
And I totally figured out the twist from the end early on too! I knew she wasn't to be trusted.
Even though I didn't really enjoy or care for the main characters, I'll still check out the last book to see how everything plays out.
Side note: The grammar errors are bad. Needs heavy editing!
November 1, 2021
The real ruthless queen? It's J.J. McAvoy
The first book was my fave and it fell apart. Calliope is sort of like a nuisance character. Popping out of nowhere and like a cheap copy of Melody. I don't need another one of her. I liked Ivy - she's weak and strong at some way. Too much banter - plotting and all. The first one was balanced.
It's like the first book was shattered for me and I really liked it. I know they are mobsters and ruthless. But heartless? No, I never saw this family to be like that. There's a big difference for me.
The first book was my fave and it fell apart. Calliope is sort of like a nuisance character. Popping out of nowhere and like a cheap copy of Melody. I don't need another one of her. I liked Ivy - she's weak and strong at some way. Too much banter - plotting and all. The first one was balanced.
It's like the first book was shattered for me and I really liked it. I know they are mobsters and ruthless. But heartless? No, I never saw this family to be like that. There's a big difference for me.
June 7, 2019
If I could give this book zero stars I would. I specifically made a goodreads account just to rant about how pissed of this book made me feel. This entire “trilogy turned series”. Lemme start by saying how much HOPE I had for this book...okay now that HOPE is gone. I want to start off by saying how based on the reviews this book has gotten I already know I’m better off not wasting my time reading it because then I’ll truly get even more pissed off by how pointless this series has become.
How many hours I wasted on this series expecting not what I got from the predecessor (RUTHLESS MINDS) but at least some degree of the same story telling.
Now I don’t get why everyone seems to have hated Ivy, she was a fine h to me and tbh a nice break from Melody and the type of h she was. She wasn’t WEAK. She just wasn’t completely ruthless and that’s FINE. Because she was growing and learning and made Ethan a better H in the books so I felt that she fit well within the story.
Now on to the Ethan...he was it for me. I truly liked him as a character and was content with where their story was going but now to find out he was a LIE! A fraud who somehow concocted this whole scheme and later had Ivy killed???
Yeah I don’t buy it. And from the reviews I know others don’t either. The author probably has tricked herself into buying it or idk what but honestly lemme say that it is just NOT realistic. If in fact this was the plan ALL along then yeah I would have been okay with it and even been blown away but it’s clear that it wasn’t. Tbh If Ivy wasn’t important than why build her character up so much???why give her a tragic backstory and have her restore herself later on all to just eventually DIE. Answers are needed from the author but I doubt she’d come out and say the truth. I feel that at this point the only way for the author to redeem this series is to just rewrite it. ALL of it. She should not have had a whole book dedicated to Ethan and Ivy because that honestly ruined this book.
All in all I will NOT be reading this book and wasting my time. I also will NOT be reading any future books by her if this is the type of bs she pulls. Also minor note but the editing was honestly terrible. Her writing made up for it but seriously?? The errors were out of control.
How many hours I wasted on this series expecting not what I got from the predecessor (RUTHLESS MINDS) but at least some degree of the same story telling.
Now I don’t get why everyone seems to have hated Ivy, she was a fine h to me and tbh a nice break from Melody and the type of h she was. She wasn’t WEAK. She just wasn’t completely ruthless and that’s FINE. Because she was growing and learning and made Ethan a better H in the books so I felt that she fit well within the story.
Now on to the Ethan...he was it for me. I truly liked him as a character and was content with where their story was going but now to find out he was a LIE! A fraud who somehow concocted this whole scheme and later had Ivy killed???
Yeah I don’t buy it. And from the reviews I know others don’t either. The author probably has tricked herself into buying it or idk what but honestly lemme say that it is just NOT realistic. If in fact this was the plan ALL along then yeah I would have been okay with it and even been blown away but it’s clear that it wasn’t. Tbh If Ivy wasn’t important than why build her character up so much???why give her a tragic backstory and have her restore herself later on all to just eventually DIE. Answers are needed from the author but I doubt she’d come out and say the truth. I feel that at this point the only way for the author to redeem this series is to just rewrite it. ALL of it. She should not have had a whole book dedicated to Ethan and Ivy because that honestly ruined this book.
All in all I will NOT be reading this book and wasting my time. I also will NOT be reading any future books by her if this is the type of bs she pulls. Also minor note but the editing was honestly terrible. Her writing made up for it but seriously?? The errors were out of control.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2019
Soooo....normally anything that involved cheating (yes...I consider it cheating regardless of the situation...OR her agreement to it) would be a quick NO GO for me...BUT for some reason, with this series I’m semi (I’ll NEVER be completely ok with cheating...EVER!) ok with it.
Basically, this book completely rewrites just about all you know about the Children of Vice series. Ethan has always been a hard character for me to connect with because of how cold he is. His whole demeanor toward everyone can be a huge turnoff. But in this book, you get a different look into him and everything that has transpired from the first book till now. It’s really hard to not give away spoilers so I will be a vague as I can BUT will put the whole cheating thing under a spoiler at the end because I know a lot of people will want to know.
Ethan, while you find out he has a heart, is far more ruthless than either of his parents AND Calliope...well, the girl not only plays the long game but she can give Melody a run for her money. I could fully see Liam and Melody picking Calliope for Ethan but never being really prepared for her (does that make any sense).
Everything, you thought you knew...you really didn’t. Nothing is how it has seemed. The game has been much more complex than you ever imagined. IF this is how the author planned it from the beginning I have to give her credit because it’s extremely complex. IF it’s not and she only did this in reaction to the dislike of Ivy’s character...well, I’m torn because that means she listened to her fans and corrected her error BUT the downfall is that she wrote a character like Ivy in the first place (I wasn’t a fan of Ivy from the beginning as you could see in my review for the first book).
I’m going to stop here and leave you with the knowledge that you know nothing about what’s really be going on OR the complexity of Ethan’s mind. I honestly can’t say more due to it spoiling the whole book BUT if you are a fan of the series then you are familiar with the ride that McAvoy takes you on.
Basically, this book completely rewrites just about all you know about the Children of Vice series. Ethan has always been a hard character for me to connect with because of how cold he is. His whole demeanor toward everyone can be a huge turnoff. But in this book, you get a different look into him and everything that has transpired from the first book till now. It’s really hard to not give away spoilers so I will be a vague as I can BUT will put the whole cheating thing under a spoiler at the end because I know a lot of people will want to know.
Ethan, while you find out he has a heart, is far more ruthless than either of his parents AND Calliope...well, the girl not only plays the long game but she can give Melody a run for her money. I could fully see Liam and Melody picking Calliope for Ethan but never being really prepared for her (does that make any sense).
Everything, you thought you knew...you really didn’t. Nothing is how it has seemed. The game has been much more complex than you ever imagined. IF this is how the author planned it from the beginning I have to give her credit because it’s extremely complex. IF it’s not and she only did this in reaction to the dislike of Ivy’s character...well, I’m torn because that means she listened to her fans and corrected her error BUT the downfall is that she wrote a character like Ivy in the first place (I wasn’t a fan of Ivy from the beginning as you could see in my review for the first book).
I’m going to stop here and leave you with the knowledge that you know nothing about what’s really be going on OR the complexity of Ethan’s mind. I honestly can’t say more due to it spoiling the whole book BUT if you are a fan of the series then you are familiar with the ride that McAvoy takes you on.
Want to read
August 8, 2019To be a good writer is not only necessary to develop grammatical skills and other writing techniques. You must also have the emotional structure to deal with the criticism and various other reactions you get from the moment you decide to embark on a public career. If you do not have this pre requisite, then you are not an author or a true best seller, a best seller not only sells their books, they sell their image, they invest in their careers, personal development and relationship with fans.If you don't do this you are just a poor excuse self-styled professional. Now, if you are not prepared for it and still use your position to try to humiliate your audience, you are not only a poor excuse for a professional, but a poor pathetic excuse for a human being.
December 30, 2021
What a tragic waste of an amazing series. The spin offs just ruined the characters for me. After 4 books I’m giving up. Mel and Liam’s story is just that good, best mafia series that exist for sure, sadly the children didn’t live up to them and the plot doesn’t make sense at all. I’ll gladly re-read Ruthless people again, and the entire series because it was well crafted and epic but not this trash. The spin-offs continue with 6 books in total. I’ve read 4 and it wasn’t that great. So im out. If you loved the main series and especially Mel and Liam’s relationship, don’t read the children’s book. Just don’t. You’ll thank me later. You can read some amazing reviews about it here on GR regarding why you shouldn’t continue with it.
May 23, 2019
I feel like the idea of this series changed right at the second book where you can tell that the author changed the way it was speaking about ivy and how "insignificant" she started to make her in the p.o.v like every character here is supposed to be threatening to shoot everybody to be considered strong somehow except the adopted chick who they made a whole book about (figure that one out). This makes me believe they had an offer to extend the series and the author was like "yeah let's do it" even with unnecessary useless subplot of Ethan trying to drag his parents of hiding (lolololololol) and be like "Yeah parents you're alive I know ha" and that his p.o.v in the 1st book were fake(yeah you can fake your thought now too) and that he plotted this with some caliscope chick out of nowhere that has his kid and they known each other since young and shit and all this subplot was to bring his parents out of hiding (facepalm). I've read some useless books but this series takes the cake.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2019
UPDATE UPDATE: O M G. I am finally ready to write my review. So first of all disclaimer - this review maybe be biased (cause I love this series so much). I think if you have read all the books before, you are obsessed with Callahans, you will love this one and obviously will read VM2.
So this book mas a major plot twist with every chapter. You may think you figured everything out, but no my dear, JJ has a surprise for you in this book. I really enjoyed this book. I love Calliope - she's like Mel, but not Melody <3 Oh and Ethan, my dear sweet Ethan - he is a child of great Mel and Liam and their ruthlessness. To be honest, I was kinda scared of him, because this is next level ruthlessness. But I still love him and I wish him all the best. The relationship between them is OMG, I was laughing so much and in some moments it reminded me how Mel's and Liam's relationship started - poisoning, shooting, sex :D She was made for him, the are perfect together (sorry, not sorry Ivy's fans)
Overall this is a great interlude for epic finale, because it will be epic and JJ said that 3 major characters will die. So go buy this book and enjoy it.
Now for those who already read the book:
UPDATE: OMG, I can't, it's almost here, just 16 days left.. *heavy breathing*
So okay, I LOVE THIS series so much. And I'm dying for this book to be released.
Right now, from all the teases J.J. give us, I can say I already love Callilope. I don't know why, but Ethans and Calli relationship (from all the teasers) somehow reminds me of Mel and Liam in the beginning. She is crazy and she will do whatever she wants, she's a gream ripper. Spare my heart Callilope.
You know what, I'll give it 5 stars. I don't care that I didn't read it. I'm a sucker for this book, series, Callilope <3 And I already am jealous for people who will get ARC.
Photo made by our queen J.J.
So this book mas a major plot twist with every chapter. You may think you figured everything out, but no my dear, JJ has a surprise for you in this book. I really enjoyed this book. I love Calliope - she's like Mel, but not Melody <3 Oh and Ethan, my dear sweet Ethan - he is a child of great Mel and Liam and their ruthlessness. To be honest, I was kinda scared of him, because this is next level ruthlessness. But I still love him and I wish him all the best. The relationship between them is OMG, I was laughing so much and in some moments it reminded me how Mel's and Liam's relationship started - poisoning, shooting, sex :D She was made for him, the are perfect together (sorry, not sorry Ivy's fans)
Overall this is a great interlude for epic finale, because it will be epic and JJ said that 3 major characters will die. So go buy this book and enjoy it.
Now for those who already read the book:
UPDATE: OMG, I can't, it's almost here, just 16 days left.. *heavy breathing*
So okay, I LOVE THIS series so much. And I'm dying for this book to be released.
Right now, from all the teases J.J. give us, I can say I already love Callilope. I don't know why, but Ethans and Calli relationship (from all the teasers) somehow reminds me of Mel and Liam in the beginning. She is crazy and she will do whatever she wants, she's a gream ripper. Spare my heart Callilope.
You know what, I'll give it 5 stars. I don't care that I didn't read it. I'm a sucker for this book, series, Callilope <3 And I already am jealous for people who will get ARC.
Photo made by our queen J.J.
March 18, 2019
2 stars
I was really excited about this book, because I enjoyed reading the little snippet and it left me disappointed. Part of me wants to re -read the first book of this series again, so I could search for some clues for this "twist" because what was all this nonsense? The plot felt like such a mess and some of the characters were very OOC.
* Hero(s) - 1/5
* Heroine(s) - 2/5
* Secondary Characters - 2/5
* Plot - 2/5
* Romance/Steam - 2/5
* Drama/Conflict/Angst - 2/5
* Writing Style - 3/5
I was really excited about this book, because I enjoyed reading the little snippet and it left me disappointed. Part of me wants to re -read the first book of this series again, so I could search for some clues for this "twist" because what was all this nonsense? The plot felt like such a mess and some of the characters were very OOC.
* Hero(s) - 1/5
* Heroine(s) - 2/5
* Secondary Characters - 2/5
* Plot - 2/5
* Romance/Steam - 2/5
* Drama/Conflict/Angst - 2/5
* Writing Style - 3/5
August 8, 2019
Utterly disappointing.
This book left me with a bad taste and serious trust issues. The Ethan in book 1 is completely different from book 3. He was badass in book 1, and here he’s just plain psycho. He went from dark hero (evil, but love able) to villain - I want him DEAD!!. The only way to redeem this series: Ivy never died, but comes back to destroys him and C. Dona can be the new mob boss.
I just want Ethan dead and cremated, while C rot in hell. The End.
This book left me with a bad taste and serious trust issues. The Ethan in book 1 is completely different from book 3. He was badass in book 1, and here he’s just plain psycho. He went from dark hero (evil, but love able) to villain - I want him DEAD!!. The only way to redeem this series: Ivy never died, but comes back to destroys him and C. Dona can be the new mob boss.
I just want Ethan dead and cremated, while C rot in hell. The End.
March 17, 2019
I am a fan of the author's previous books/ series, with that said I was quite disappointed in this book, hence the 2 stars review (a first time for me for this author). When it comes to complications and serious plot twists on ever page turn I am also a HUGE fan, I love when a book surprises me and takes me on a wild ride. In Vicious Minds, the complications, twists and even the ending felt too much forced. It was as if the writer was trying way way way too hard to make this story complicated, at times where it just felt completely unnecessary. I liked the characters, there was no replication; as in Ethan and Calliope were not Melody and Liam, something I was worried about and thankful it didn't happen.
I enjoyed her writing style as always but honestly this book was missing J.J. McAvoy's touch, something was missing, even the quotes at the beginning of every chapter and frankly the backstory although I understand it was crucial for the story-line, it was too long and yet not enough (I don't know how to explain that, please don't ask), it also made all previous books seem kind of silly and useless. Oh and I really didn't like the "Ivy" part (not because I liked Ivy more, in fact, I prefer Calliope, she is a much more perfect fit for Ethan, but because it was completely vain, and very much forced, and again made all previous books look like a total scam). I must say, the ending was lacking, and very much expected, like said before, this book was missing, A LOT.
Now, I must give credit where credit is due to the author, it was genius how she truly orchestrated this but for some reason I feel like it all came by surprise to her, like she didn't plot this when she wrote the first book in the series,"Children of Vice", which I respect, go with your gut and all, but it was messy. It was really messy.
Will I read the "hopefully" final book in the series? I don't know.. the entire series lost it's spark with me, but that might change or it might not.
Will I read other books by the author? Sure I might, one mildly bad book doesn't ruin an author.
Do I recommend this series/this book? Well, honestly although I highly recommend the "Ruthless People" series, it is an absolute favorite of mine, this one however (the spin-off) well.. it's a tough one (and not as in the content is harsh or anything like that) but go for it if you want, I'm indifferent at this point.
I enjoyed her writing style as always but honestly this book was missing J.J. McAvoy's touch, something was missing, even the quotes at the beginning of every chapter and frankly the backstory although I understand it was crucial for the story-line, it was too long and yet not enough (I don't know how to explain that, please don't ask), it also made all previous books seem kind of silly and useless. Oh and I really didn't like the "Ivy" part (not because I liked Ivy more, in fact, I prefer Calliope, she is a much more perfect fit for Ethan, but because it was completely vain, and very much forced, and again made all previous books look like a total scam). I must say, the ending was lacking, and very much expected, like said before, this book was missing, A LOT.
Now, I must give credit where credit is due to the author, it was genius how she truly orchestrated this but for some reason I feel like it all came by surprise to her, like she didn't plot this when she wrote the first book in the series,"Children of Vice", which I respect, go with your gut and all, but it was messy. It was really messy.
Will I read the "hopefully" final book in the series? I don't know.. the entire series lost it's spark with me, but that might change or it might not.
Will I read other books by the author? Sure I might, one mildly bad book doesn't ruin an author.
Do I recommend this series/this book? Well, honestly although I highly recommend the "Ruthless People" series, it is an absolute favorite of mine, this one however (the spin-off) well.. it's a tough one (and not as in the content is harsh or anything like that) but go for it if you want, I'm indifferent at this point.
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