The Damnation of Leander Welles

The Leander Welles Series #3

by Ashlyn Drewek

The proposal is simple. The execution? Not so much...

The day Bennett Reeve meets Leander Welles is the day his life changes forever. A ruthless lawyer to some of Chicago’s most despicable criminals, Bennett has seen it all — until he lays eyes on the enigmatic millionaire.

By combining their wicked brilliance and unlimited resources, the world is theirs for the taking. But as Bennett helps Leander undertake an elaborate plan for revenge against the people who wronged him, Bennett’s own past starts to catch up with him. When Leander is threatened as a result, Bennett will do anything to protect the man he loves — even if it means losing him.

This is a prequel to The Mystery of Leander Welles and The Rationale of Leander Welles. It's a dark, slow-burn MM romance.

Content warning: This book contains references to child abuse, substance abuse, suicide, and self-harm. Reader discretion is advised.

Genres: M M Romance, Dark Romance, Friends To Lovers, Slow Burn, Dark, Romance, Contemporary

339 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2021

About the author

International best-selling and award-winning author Ashlyn Drewek has always been fascinated by "weird" things like Edgar Allan Poe, Halloween, and witchcraft. Not necessarily in that order. But she's also a hopeless romantic who lives for stories about true love conquering all. Since variety is indeed the spice of life, she writes a mix of MM tropes and subgenres to satisfy her rapidly changing whims.

For information on upcoming releases, go to ⇢ https://www.ashlyndrewek.com/upcoming

Have a question? I might have an answer! ⇢ https://www.ashlyndrewek.com/faq

Looking for links? Go here ⇢ www.ashlyndrewek.com/main

Reviews

[lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

— 5 stars ☆

“It will work because we planned it that way. What have I always told you? Together, we’re unstoppable. Don’t ever doubt that.”
He nodded, swallowing visibly. Expelling a shaky breath, he drew in another ragged one, trying to get a handle on his breathing.
I folded him into a hug, resting my cheek against the side of his head. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Some things are beyond your control.”
“You’re not in this alone, Leander. And you won’t be locked away forever. If I have to, I will kill every single person who dares stand between us.” Conviction spreads through my body like wildfire. I closed my eyes, murmuring the next words. “I promise.” It was only after the fact, I realized they were in Italian.

leanderbennett own my fucking heart now. i love them i love them i love them sfm -

the way they got each other through everything?? 🤌
the pining?? 💕
the banter?? 😚
them cuddling?? 😩
the push and pull?? ✨
the way they comforted each other?? 💞
the way they teased each other?? 🫀
the way they bonded over literature and soft poetry and romantic lines and history and the arcane and profane?? ❤️‍🩹
the sheer angst and the amount of pain ugh. 😭 it was absolutely PERFECT.

they’re probably the epitome of couples that scheme and kill together stay together. 🥺 plus, it was such a slow-burn and not much pay-off, which i liked, ’cause it suited them. they had this soulmate connection no one can deny AND I AM FIRMLY FOR.

this book?



but also—

He held my face, kissing me as if his life depended on it. I knew mine did. Without him, I had no life. No heart. Just eternal blackness. And now that I had him again, I vowed to singlehandedly obliterate anyone who tried to take him away from me.
“I love you,” he breathed, his chest rising and falling beneath my hand. If I didn’t believe his words, or feel it in his kiss, the truth was right there in his ardent gaze. “God help me, I love you.”

bennettleander were kindred spirits. the best of friends. the killer duo (literally). most of all, soulmates. and they are engraved in my heart now.

Bennett. he’s such an icon, a king. HE HAS STOLEN MY HEART SO MUCH. i thought i was in love with Leander and the way he was so mysterious and yet vulnerable only with his closest companions (and Bennett, but they were soulmates 🥰) but Bennett has taken the cake. i love him so so much.

“Mi manchi,” I repeated, throwing him a smirk. “It means ‘you’re missing from me.’ It has so much more feeling than a basic ‘I miss you’.”

Leander, you still aren’t that far from my heart, don’t worry. i did love him, not the same way (or as much lol) as i did Bennett but he has a special place in my heart nonetheless. the way he recited Poe to distract Bennett from the storm jkdsfkjshjgjhsfj he was so soft for Bennett. 🥺

i loved every single moment of theirs i swear. and i already know that this is gonna be one of those books which i can reread over. and over. and over again. the way every single phrase said between the two of them made me almost scream ’cause it was THEM - 🤧😭

“Most people think the idea of romantic love is the highest goal in life. The only goal,” he said quietly, his face upturned. “But it’s not enough. Not really.”
“What else is there?”
“A soul mate.” His gaze lowered to mine, his features soft in the light. Soft and sad. “Someone who truly understands you. Not only understands, accepts you. Unreservedly.”

also!! the voice mail? the one which was there in the previous book but just didn’t have the “oomph” impact it had in this one, ’cause this was everything. and the letter?? just broke my heart and ripped it to shreds and stomped on the pieces. 😭

“Memento mori, my prince.”
[...]
“Memento vivere, you fucking lunatic!”

they’re my babies now <3
I WILL PROTECT THEM FOR LIFE -

“Per aspera ad astra,” I said softly.
[...]
Near-silent laughter shook Leander’s body. “I don’t speak Latin. What are you saying about stars?”
“It means ‘Through hardship to the stars’.”
“Ah... I should be in another galaxy then.”
“Can I come?”
He chuckled out loud. “Why would you want to?”
“You know me. I never turn down an adventure.”

OKAY BYE i’m gonna go on the next adventure with them killing people who come between them (hopefully Lorelei?? 👀 jshfkhsk i just hope she doesn’t end up disrupting things between them, i feel like *things* are gonna happen in the next book 😩).

[moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

reread (1): feb 2022

❝You're not in this alone, Leander. And you won't be locked away forever. If I have to, I will kill every single person who dares stand between us.❞ Conviction spread through my body like wildfire. I closed my eyes, murmuring the next words. ❝I promise.❞ It was only after the fact, I realized they were in Italian.

i can never have enough of these two. 🥺


✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

edit: CRYING, it's only been two days since i read this and i already miss my favorite intelligent let's-plan-murders-together couple. ☹️

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

❝The great art of life is sensation, to feel that we exist, even in pain.❞

the chemistry??
the angst??
the slow burn??
the pining??
the development??

chefs kiss. this book was so damn good. it literally made me feel everything. Bennett and Leander, you both own my heart. ♡

[Renae Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bennett Reeve!!!! He brings a whole new angle and perspective to this slow burn story. I love how his friendship with Leander is a gradual and natural progression into something completely genuine, one of a kind and beautiful.

Together these two have an insane amount of chemistry and their mayhem makes for highly entertaining moments.

Overall Damnation is the turning point in this series and it's all thanks to the wholly unhinged and entertaining Bennett. I cannot get enough of him and his devotion to Leander. These two are an amazing duo where you can expected the unexpected.

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adored this. Couldn't put it down, it was so good.

Full RTC....
~*~

After the little bits of Bennett we get in the second book, this book was like a smorgasbord of Bennett, and I absolutely loved it.

I remember meeting Bennett (and Leander a bit as well) in the second Roan Sinclair book, and he was interesting then, but I didn't know how much I'd come to love him.

This book is entirely from Bennett's POV, and we start from right before he meets Leander, and get a sense of how wild and carefree he is about his life.

Such as having sex whenever he wants - even having sex with a woman he knows is a cop - with whoever he wants, getting involved in the mob. Just as their lawyer, though. And he doesn't take kindly to anyone telling him what to do. But even the most confident of us can't always get away with a "fuck you" attitude, and in this that will catch up with Bennett eventually.

We get to start this about 2 and half-ish years before the events of the second book, and get to see when Bennett and Leander meet, how they form a partnership and then friendship, and how they fall in love.

We even get to their infamous night together, and then how it all went wrong and how Bennett could have ended up breaking Leander's heart.

With both of these men, if you're not in their inner circle, are ruthless. Bennett just a little so more than Leander. Leander definitely has his dark side (and his "lists" as we saw in the second book), but he's a little more rational about when to kill and not to kill. Killing is maybe a little too much on Bennett's go-to list. Leander, however, is able to reign him in a little, knowingly or not. Not by much, because Bennett is still Bennett and he's gonna be how he is.

But there's this great scene where they're negotiating with an old man for part ownership of his hotel and he's being obstinate, and Bennett and Leander have a whole silent conversation which goes basically like:

Bennett: Murder? 😃
Leander: No 😐
Bennett: Please? 🙁
Leander: No 😕
Bennett: 😒

It's actually a little funny.

So these two aren't exactly....um, good guys, lets say that. But there is a line, even for Bennett. (He threatens some gruesome things. But when push comes to shove, even he doesn't do things - such as murder little kids, for example)

And as these two start to fall for each other, there isn't anything they wouldn't do for each other. Especially Bennett. You mess with Leander, and you'll be fucked.

And Bennett doesn't pretend not to be a ruthless murderer, and the Leander appreciates that, and is able to open up to Bennett in ways he's never done with anyone. They spend days and nights together, under the guise of working together, but really they just talk and talk for hours on end, getting to know each other - and fall in love.

I'm such a sucker for when someone is a badass and would has no qualms about hurt almost anyone, but when it comes to the one they love? They'll do anything, and I mean anything to protect them. And are also possessive as fuck. Which Bennett totally is, and I love it.

I loved to see the ways in which Bennett was there for Leander during their time away from each other. Even though Bennett thought he was doing the right thing, to keep Leander safe from those who might hurt him to get to Bennett, he couldn't help thinking about him all the time and doing all he could to keep Leander safe.

And once he found out about Lorelei, the thoughts he had about her lol. Bennett will literally cut a bitch, because for him Leander is his. As his past is what drove them apart, in ways it starts to be worked out, and really Bennett just wants to be with Leander more than anything.

This book ends on a slight cliffhangers, but it's a good one. These two finally get their shit together and are ready to be together for real.

I dove right into the next one after I read this so I know what happens, but I'll keep quite on this review 🤫

Just know that for this one we get all of Bennett and Leander's wonderful (and fucked up and dark) romance in this, and these are two men willing to do nasty shit, but around each other they're just two men deeply in love with each other. And what a wonderful love story it is. There's a bump in the road, but there's no doubt in the end that Bennett gets his man.

Onto the next one. This one is definitely worth the read, and after reading the whole story, I would say you don't need to read the second one if you don't wish to. I think this book does a pretty good job of describing the general goings on of book two (although book two is interesting just for Leander's perspective. But Leander pushed Bennett so far in the back of his mind to try to ignore his feelings that in the second book there isn't enough of that. So I still say reading the second one is up to you guys) and getting our main couple to a solid HFN.

Two massive thumbs up from me! 👍

My ratings for the Leander Welles Series:

🔆 The Mystery of Leander Welles: DNR
🔆 The Rationale of Leander Welles: 4 stars (my review)
🔆 The Damnation of Leander Welles: 5 stars
🔆 The Wrath of Leander Welles: Currently Reading

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Looking back on the course of our relationship, I still couldn’t say for sure when I fell in love with him. All I knew for certain was that I was."

THIS IS BOOK 3 IN A SERIES. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE PREVIOUS 2, STOP NOW AND READ THEM IMMEDIATELY!

Leander and Bennett are divine in The Damnation of Leander Welles.

Reading about the background to their relationship, and the development of that relationship, was a roller coaster ride.

So many secrets are revealed, but there's still the issue of Lorelei.

And revenge being exacted. All over the place.

On to The Wrath of Leander Welles.

I am seriously loving this series Ashlyn Drewek 🖤.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

5 STEAMY STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bennett and Leander 4ever

[Jessi &#x1f940; · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

Bennett 1️⃣ Malibu Barbie 0️⃣

[Gloria (in a slump? idk) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is slow burn AF but the delicious kind of slow burn. I definitely have a greater *appreciation* for Bennett Reeve a.k.a the love of my life 🥲🥲

[the kevin (vaguely alive) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread 7/11/21: The only thing to do with a book hangover is to immediately reread the book that caused it. And resist rereading a third time. Anyway, I reread this in tandem with Leander's book - I hunted Bennett references in Leander's book, but I also matched the end scenes together between Leander and Bennett. I love getting their perspectives on the same interaction. I also thought it was interesting how much closer together their thoughts run, even when they're been dramatic and not talking to each other, compared to how radically different Lorelei and Leander's thoughts were for overlapping scenes. Bennett foreverrrrr

----

Original review:

This is absolutely the best one in the series, hands down. It gets the benefit of having the previous two books build it all up. I think you could get by without reading the first book, but I enjoyed the slow sink into the story when I started with Lorelei's POV. It's the outsider view, and it really caught my attention with all the little discrepancies and odd unanswered questions that Lorelei had or didn't even notice. Leander's friends were so mysterious in that book...anyway. Point is, you could skip it, but I think it enhances a lot.

The blurb says this is a prequel, and it does start before the first two books, but it also overlaps them. I would absolutely love more Bennett and Leander, and I am so glad there's another book in the works! This book is like the end of Hannibal season 3, fuckin diving off a goddamn cliff Will what the hell except more resolved. (this is also where the murder husbands thing comes from in my review)

--spoilers ahead--

This had all of the emotions and angst and romance that were missing in Lorelei's book, and in hiding from Leander's. Leander's book had more angst than Lorelei's, though mainly when he was thinking about Bennett, and this book seriously ramped it up. This is where the true emotion and love is. I love it, can't get enough. The turboangst breakup?? Bennett getting the voicemail??? the flower????? inject that straight into my veins

There was so much beautiful pining from Bennett, such great unresolved sexual tension. I loved how emotional, how raw the pining was. Bennett only thought about his feelings towards Leander and how much he wanted to kiss him, instead of having more lust driven thoughts. It felt more...romantic this way, better for the tension and angst. Leander remained fairly inscrutable, but even then we still get some slow building sexual tension from him too.

I also love Bennett, did I say that? More bennett. He is perfect for Leander, and their romance makes it clear Malibu Barbie is but a pretender to the throne, a sad rebound. Shoo. Bennett and Leander are such a great pair together, absolute murder husbands material. I love when murder husbands get turned on by their partner being violent and ruthless. The beginning of their relationship was beautiful, actually getting to see Leander's true self after only seeing hints in the first two books...I couldn't get enough. He's totally free with Bennett, and it's magical.

Usually the "breaking up for your safety and not telling you why" trope is unmitigated stupidity, but here? It works. It's actually "I'm breaking up with you for your safety and not telling you why, because I know you'll go on a murderous rampage to help me and I want you to stay alive", which is just absolute perfection.

I somehow love Olivia even more in this book. I didn't think it was possible, but damn I love her. I want to be Olivia.

This is mild spoilers for The Kidnapping of Roan Sinclair (since there's universe cross-over) - also an amazing book - but DID BENNETT SLEEP WITH MISHA OMG HE TOTALLY DID

Overall...the series is an amazing blend of tension, suspense, mystery, and romance. I can't say enough how much I loved this book! 6/5 stars, which puts it on my favorites shelf. I already don't rate many books at 5 stars, and my favorites shelf is a level beyond. Books that make me immediately reread them, that follow me around for days, that keep me from focusing on other books...perfection.

[Nelly S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Magnificent”, he breathed, the word crystallizing in the night air. He looked the way I’d felt when I watched him break the bartender’s nose — enlivened by the violence, thrilled by the display of power.
Pride swelled in my chest. He’d seen me kill before, but never like this. His approval — his praise — meant everything.”

Well that was a dark, delicious, suspenseful slow burn! Read this if you’re into complex, morally ambiguous characters who just don’t give a fuck. There’s enough sexual tension between the MCs to drive you mad with frustration. And did I mention it’s a mob story as well? But it’s an intelligent one without the usual dumb downed stereotypes. This was just a super fun and thrilling read.

[Amy Wills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I even start?! This book was even more amazing than I’d dared hope.

Damnation is book three in the Leander Welles saga; a series that focuses on Leander, a man with a dark past and a dark mind.

The first book is from the perspective of Lorelei, a psychiatrist who’s been charged with determining if Leander is mentally fit to stand trial for murder and we only get to know Leander through her eyes. Book two is essentially the same story but from Leander’s perspective and you may think you don’t need to read this, but you will have SO many questions and this book will answer a lot of them. Then finally we have the third book which is from the perspective of a man called Bennett, who is mentioned in the first two books but we know very little about him. We begin to learn the mysterious workings of Bennett Reeve and his involvement with Leander.

I can’t say much without giving away spoilers but this is by far the best book in the series. I gave the first two 5 stars so they’re obviously amazing but this is the cherry on the cake and I will love this book and Bennett forever.

I had my doubts about whether I would like Bennett and if he would lead Leander away from a particular blonde psychiatrist (you’ll have to read the book to discover if this happens) but he is such a vivacious, strong, doesn’t give a shit character and he definitely became one of my all time favourite male characters!

If you’ve read the first two, I have no doubts you’ll adore this one. Ashlyn has so much to offer the literary world and she has fast become one of my favourite authors.

All I have left to say is... #teambennett

[❥ Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread 1/28/24:

Still SO GOOD! The slooooooowest of burns & the most romantic murder-boyfriends. I just love them

Anyway so this is Bennett (still searching for my perfect Leander):


Original review 8/6/22:

The perfect book. That’s it. That’s the review.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only read the first two books in the series to get to THIS book and THIS book takes the cake. Bennett and Leander are so perfect for each other. Lorelei who? LOL I agree with another reviewer who said reading the first one wasn't necessary but it was still a good book. I appreciated the fade-to-black sex scenes since I prefer MM (don't ask why cuz idk). Reading the second book definitely helps set this one up. I went in kind of prepared to not like Bennett because of how he's portrayed in the second one but the author proved me wrong. I would even suggest to new readers to read THIS book FIRST but STOP after Chapter 38 (I know I know just stay with me on this one), read the second book completely AND THEN finish the third book. That way it's in chronological order for the most part and you can slide into the fourth book which I'll be reviewing next as soon as I catch my breath because omg that was a hell of a ride.

[nana · Rating 5 out of 5]

shaking. i don't have words.

He held my face, kissing me as if his life depended on it. I knew mine did. Without him, I had no life. No heart. No soul.

[Rαιɳ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

I don't know what to say honestly, I loved this book, I loved them. Leander and Bennett as characters but also their banter, their chemistry, their dynamic, their teasing and feelings for each other and how they expressed it even without words. Leander fascinated me in the first book but BENNETT help I love this man.

❝Bennett Reeve,master manipulator of the Chicago underworld❞
❝Maybe once upon a time. Now, I serve only you,my prince.❞ I gave him a sweeping bow. He shoved my arm. ❝Stop it. People are looking.❞
❝Of course they're looking. They're in awe of your majesty, your grace, your--❞
❝You are ridiculous.❞

But these men also made me suffer, then they made me happy again but they made me suffer.

❝What do you want from me, Bennett?❞
Pressing a hand to the side of his face, I strocked his cheekbone with my thumb. ❝You. You're all I want. You're all I ever wanted.❞

[AngelFire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating if read as part of the series: 4 stars
Rating if read as standalone: 2 stars

Re-Read Feb 2023 (as a standalone):

It's been a year since I read the entire series so when I decided to re-read this book, I basically read it as a standalone because I've forgotten so many details about the overall series. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book as a standalone. There are TONS of references to situations from the rest of the series and if you're not familiar with the characters, plotlines and even small details that took place in Books 1 and 2, those references will have zero emotional impact on you and you'll be skimming page after page of boring stuff that feels pointless.

I also really struggled connecting with Leander because this book is only in Bennett's POV. This makes sense because Book 2 was entirely in Leander's POV so reading Book 3 after that means readers know exactly who Leander is and you don't need his POV. But reading this as a standalone kept Leander a closed off, mysterious character and that didn't work for me. In addition, Olivia came across as a rude, physically aggressive, cold bitch with barely any variation in her personality. In previous books, we get to know Olivia and we fall in love with her but because this book is entirely in Bennett's POV, that didn't happen here.

I thought that Leander and Bennett's romance development would be interesting enough to make this book a worthwhile read as a standalone, but that wasn't the case. The actual romance is very formulaic and the boring old 'I'm not good enough for you' conflict is used multiple times in completely forced situations to keep the MCs apart long enough for other stuff to happen. There were many cute moments between the two of them but none of it was as special as I remember it being when I read the series.

Since the romance was lackluster and a lot of the other plotlines were boring without the context of the first two books, some other issues ended up standing out which hadn't bothered me in the past. In particular, I found Bennett annoying, which was really weird because he was my favorite character when I read the series. In this book, he comes across as overly dramatic, childish and reckless to the point of seeming like a 21 year old kid. His antagonistic relationship with his mother especially annoyed me because they both acted childish and melodramatic, even when their actions were making Leander uncomfortable and Bennett's sister miserable.

Leander and Bennett's constant discussion of poetry, philosophy and religion also got on my nerves because I don't understand any of that stuff and I often didn't understand what they were saying. This was also the case during my series read (all of the Poe references flew over my head) but because the author used symbolism and repetition of those things throughout the books, I liked having those things pop up again. For example, whenever Bennett sent Leander messages in Books 1 and 2 and they had something to do with Poe, it was cool because it demonstrated how well Bennett knows Leander.

Overall, I think the reason I loved this book so much during my initial read was because this book is really just a missing piece of the puzzle that is the overall series. Reading Books 1 and 2 leave readers with many questions regarding Leander's feelings for Lorelai, the truth behind the complex murder plot, Leander's mysterious connection with Bennett etc. This book does a beautiful job answering those questions. In addition, the experience of reading all 3 books together feel like an epic build towards the climax, which is Book 4. If you're only reading Book 3 as a standalone, you'll get to spend time with two of the most unique characters in the MM romance genre, but you'll be missing out on what makes this book and the series so unique.

Original Review (read as part of the series):

This was everything I was hoping for and more!! The only reason I took off 1 star is because some of the action/suspense plotlines only involved Bennett and a bunch of mafia business which included a bunch of side characters I wasn't interested in. I ended up getting bored and confusing the many side characters (it didn't help that some characters were referred to by first name, last name or nickname interchangeably) so I skimmed over those parts to get back to the Leander/Bennett sections.

This series should definitely be read in published order, even though this one is technically a 'flashback' book that takes place prior to the events of Books 1 and 2. Despite being strongly connected to the first two books, this one felt very different from those two. Books 1 and 2 were a mystery/thriller duology containing lots of mind games, dark psychological issues, dark/gory imagery and unhealthy relationships. Book 3 had a completely different vibe, following a more standard M/M romance formula and including action-packed suspense plotlines where the dark elements were treated more casually, despite there being way more murder in this book than the previous ones (seriously, I lost count of how many people Bennett killed in this book, which I think is hilarious and I'm pretty sure he and Leander would find that funny too).

This book answered the question I had since the start of the series: does Leander love Lorelai? While the author cleverly kept Bennett in the background in Books 1 and 2 and kept Leander's thoughts about Bennett infrequent and vague, this book tells the full story. Clearly, Lorelai is nothing but a rebound fling after Bennett was forced to break Leander's heart to keep him safe. This book shows Bennett and Leander's entire relationship, from their first meeting 2 years prior to the events in the series, their growing friendship, their eventual romance and their devastating breakup just prior to Leander getting arrested. Because we see nearly every moment of their relationship, it's easy to compare it to Lorelai and Leander's relationship and the differences are obvious.

Lorelai doesn't understand Leander, she doesn't understand how he thinks or the world he lives in. Bennett not only has a similar background to Leander but he moves in similar circles and shares the same views on most things. With Lorelai, Leander carefully guarded all of his secrets and didn't feel comfortable confiding in her about anything. With Bennett, Leander often volunteers information about himself because he feels comfortable with Bennett and trusts him. Even the few times when Leander didn't want to talk about something (ex. using cutting as a coping mechanism when he was younger), Bennett knew what to say and do to make Leander let down his guard and talk to him. In contrast, we see that Lorelai has no clue how to get Leander to trust her. She fumbles around, desperately trying different things and nothing works.

There are so many situations involving Leander in this book that have appeared in the previous books too, but Bennett easily handles the problems while Lorelai just wrings her hands helplessly. For example, Leander's refusal to eat the food at the asylum. I didn't even realize this was connected to his normal refusing-to-eat-food-bc-he-fears-being-poisoned-again issue because Leander never talks about it and Lorelai never puts two and two together. But in Book 3, Bennett recognizes the problem and addresses it. While Lorelai treats Leander like a victim, a broken vase that has to be kept wrapped up in bubble wrap at all times, Bennett treats Leander like a person first and a victim second. Bennett identifies which ones of Leander's boundaries are healthy ones that should be respected and which ones are unhealthy ones that need to be carefully and slowly worn down.

It was also fascinating to see how different Leander acts towards Bennett compared to Lorelai. With Bennett, Leander wants to know everything about him and he enjoys spending time with him doing all sorts of different things (cooking, literary discussions, playing piano, vacations etc). He keeps himself very in tune with Bennett's moods and actions so he can steer things in the right direction if things go sideways because Bennett being happy is important to him. Two great examples are Leander doing his best to calm tensions between Bennett and his mother or when Leander recognizes Bennett's panic attack during the storm and comforts him without being asked. Leander does none of these things with Lorelai. The only activity he seems to enjoy doing with her is having sex and he doesn't care enough to be supportive when she's in emotional distress (like after his staged suicide attempt or when she's alone at his house after cutting off the rest of her family).

The best part of this book was definitely Bennett and Leander's relationship and how easily the author demonstrated that these two broken, ruthless individuals are soulmates and kindred spirits. Like the author tells us, they're lions who are extremely dangerous on their own, but when they team up, the rest of the world is theirs for the taking. Despite how different their personalities are (Leander is more quiet and serious while Bennett is outgoing and playful), they share the same soul and it was beautiful to watch these two recognize that they're each other's halves. I love these two together so much and I think the author did a wonderful job showing how intense and beautiful their relationship is.

[Charlize M · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️

[Devanshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, let's just murder everyone who mildly annoys us while quoting poetry and being gay for your best friends.

PS: That was, undoubtedly, one of the best books I've read in quite a long while. Bennett Reeve, my love. His POV was everything.

PS 2: That letter absolutely broke me.

[Lisa KK · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried. DNF at 10%.

[Love Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book, my favorite in the series by far. Bennet and Leander are so perfect for each other and I wish lorelei would just disappear somewhere, even her name annoys me lol

[Musi ✨Vegacrux’s first child✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Where do you want to go?”
“Anywhere as long as, I’m with you “

Lyrics like “you showed me colors I can’t se with anyone else, you taught me a secret language I can’t speak with anyone else “ came to mind 😭😭😭😭 yes I’m being sappy no, I don’t care.

YASSSSS FINALLY THE BOYS ARE TOGETHER. This book is PERFECT. We learn everything about them from the first meeting, how it was very apparent that they’re kindred spirits. How they’re perfect match in every step of life. Lord this had angst, and sweetness and everything I was hoping for and more. I hope the next Book is just as perfect.

[Teeny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is a "it's me not the book". Nevertheless I'm happy I didn't start Ashlyn's works with this one 'cos I would have missed out on her other incredible works.

I could never connect with Bennett much less Leander whose POV I don't think we had at all.

For all Bennett's savviness and being the Mafia's lawyer, he behaved quite idiotically when it came to Marchese and had no plans or contingencies on what to do when they would come knocking.

Him and Leander left quite the number of dead bodies behind but it looked like everything was swapped under a rag. But let's just say that they had impeccable plans and alibis, never mind that they were never revealed to the reader. What made them how they are? Do we know? BIG FAT NOPE!

Oh yeah we get Bennett's "I died" waiting for something criminally traumatic, only to learn that he was hit by lightning, his father was killed when he was caught in the crossfire of 2 rival gangs but did he had business with them (the father)? It is hinted but never told. We are told that he loathes his mother for "reasons" but the reasons given do not really validate his loathing. The only thing that somewhat justifies his anger is what happened with his sister and one of his mother's "husbands". A thing that I was always wondering if his sister remembers. His barbs and his attitude towards his mother was to say the least a teenage tantrum. It was, honestly, quite disappointing. Frankly the same way he handled the Mafia as well so for how brilliant he was supposed to be, I never saw it. He was good but not to the point the story wanted us to believe he was.

When it comes to Leander I was similarly disappointed. Another supposedly brilliant individual but when push came to shove he fumbled or was impulsive and neither provided good results. For someone that hated liars he had no problems lying to Bennett or keeping secrets. And most of all we never, ever learned what happened with his grandmother and every other person he and Bennett offed, to get his revenge. Not even Bennett knew.

And then things went really downhill from there, bringing us to what happens in Book 1 and subsequently to book 2, which is Leander's POV.

All and all this didn't work for me but I'm still curious to see what happens in the next one.

[Roxanna C Revell · Rating 5 out of 5]

༒𝐴𝑅𝐶 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤༒

How to review book three in a series without giving too much from book one & two away... 🤔🤔

OK. So, book one The Mystery of Leander Welles is written from Lorelei's perspective. You only get to know Leander via her & he spends a lot of time playing mind games. He obviously has some feelings towards her & I left this book totally #teamleanderandlorelei

Then comes book two - The Rationale of Welles. Same story but from his perspective & with all the details about his messed up world that you don't hear about in book one. Plus the introduction to his group - the five people in his life that know everything about him.

One of these people is Bennett who is only really alluded to until he makes his mindfuck appearance at the end. At which point everything you thought you knew, wasn't actually as it seemed.

I told @ashlyndrewek that I was never going to like Bennett because of this, but it would seem that I was wrong.

Bennett's story starts a couple of years before Leander & Lorelei meet (before Leander's 'plans' are set in motion) so it's not the same story told again. This is about Bennett's world which involves a lot of man-whoring & dealings with the Mafia & the FBI.

It's hard not to like him, even though he's a really bad person. Then he meets Leander & his world is rocked. These men are two sides of the same twisted coin. They are elegant, poetic, intelligent & deadly. Their moral compass is totally fucked & yet they have an instant connection & are instantly loyal to each other.

This does lead to MM (in case that's not your thing) & it's a slow burn to get there. The connection these men share is one of mind, soul, heart, then eventually, body.

They're bad people but I love them both & I finished this book #teamleanderandbennett . However I'm more concerned for Lorelei's safety now than before! Whereas Lorelei could perhaps be a chance for Leander to step into the light. Bennett is his light in the dark & Leander belongs in the dark.

These men may be dark & deadly but they're also ridiculously intelligent & poetic & Ashlyn's writing complements them perfectly. You need these books in your life.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bennett is Everything! ❤️❤️
My god… he is ruthless and deadly and everything that Leander needs and wants!
Leander is completely open and alive with him at his side.
They were made for each other.

“ He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. “



Malibu Barbie needs to go!

#TeamBennett

[Savanna Groff · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I love the dark love story between Lorelei and Leander this third book had me switching to team Bennett. Absolutely amazing and the ending? The heck is that cliffhanger? Anxiously awaiting book four.

[Tina Alicea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Leander and Bennett's love for each other!!

The Damnation of Leander Welles
Book 3, The Leander Welles series
By Ashlyn Drewek
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'s

"My hand slid into his perfectly, solidifying a pact the Devil himself couldn’t undo."

Anticipation! Anticipation! Anticipation! That was me lol...waiting for Leander and Bennett to finally get together (in a sexual way🤤🥰) only for bam💥 a plot twist. Then there's more edge of your seat anticipating until the end and you're like whew but also like damn it give me Wrath NOW because at this point you  HAVE TO KNOW MORE!! 😂 I think I could stop my review here and you'd get my feelings. But I'll add just a bit...

I loved this being in Bennett's POV.

I loved getting to see Bennett and Leander's relationship grow from acquaintance, to friends, to lovers, then "estranged" (I guess would be the word), and back to lovers & thank goodness an HFN.

I loved how they just"got each other"  and would do anything for each other. To me Bennett was the sunshine to Leander's grumpy/solemn persona ....I mean well he was a murderous type sunshine but sunshine all the same. 😁 He's like one of those friends/besties that can swoop in and lift you up and say ok let's do this XYZ and you're like ok let's do it even though normally you wouldn't.....and I loved that because Leander needed that friendship desperately.

"What is it you want?” “A kindred spirit.” ... “Someone who thinks like I do. Someone who would make Machiavelli proud.”

““A soul mate.” ... “Someone who truly understands you. Not only understands, accepts you. Unreservedly.”"

Anyways,  I'm off to read Wrath...crossing  my fingers that there isn't a cliffhanger or at least not a big one since the next book isn't finished being written yet!! 🤞🤞🤞

Please check CW's for any possible triggers!

[Jen (Fae_Princess_in_Space) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is just so good and I am absolutely obsessed with Bennett Reeve! This book is both a prequel to and a sequel of their first two books in the series (it starts before the first two, and shows us Bennett and Leander’s meeting and their subsequent falling for each other - and not saying anything about it until too late because goddamn broken boys and their fear of rejection 😩). It then sort of jumps over the time when Leander is incarcerated and picks up again when he gets out… the ending is so exciting and seeing the murder husbands back together is just glorious.

This one is much more Mafia oriented than Leander’s book, as Bennett is a Mafia lawyer with a lot of underworld connections. Whilst Leander’s book felt very ‘gothic horror’ this one was much more ‘Mafia thriller’ and I enjoyed that these genres matched with the personalities of the main characters too!

Bennett and Leander are so perfect together; there is a bond and kinship to them that Leander and Lorelei just don’t have. Whilst I don’t doubt that Leander finds Lorelei attractive and is drawn to parts of her personality, him and Bennett are clearly soulmates… I feel like this is why he asked Lorelei if she believed in soulmates at the beginning of his book. Leander knows he already has his, and Lorelei doesn’t believe in them, so she’s never going to be real competition for Bennett.

Also this book is just the slowest burn… I am so excited for the next book when we’re hopefully gonna get both of the guys together as they should have been all along 💕

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's too late for me to review this one, this just jumbles up with the next one so I'll probably just review there.

I will say that this was odd. I mean, two full books with like one or two mentions of Bennett and then this.

At least we finally got the M/M Romance part of the series. Kind of.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sandy Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

A potentially incredible MM romance undercut by baffling oversights.

I had to take a beat to write this review because I was so angry about the potential for perfection that devolved into a disappointing manipulated mess around 80%. It is a truly great murder-y soulmates finding each other story until it goes sideways. Please read the sales copy for a book summary.

Do I recommend the book? Yes. There is SO much here to love. But the unfortunate decision to have characters act out of character in one pivotal scene and then to not even show a crucial part of the plot (because it’s the focus of the two previous sort-of MF books? I guess?) made the ending so anti-climactic and forced that my Kindle is lucky to be intact. A real wallbanger of an ending (and not the fun Alice Clayton kind).

Here’s what I would have wanted to know before diving into this book and series: The Leander Welles series is ultimately a slow-burn MM romance. BUT. The first two books are not MM; they are a detailed account of one later part of the story in book 3 that, in book 1, is narrated from the woman character’s point of view as a MF sort of romantic story, and in book 2, narrated from main character/hero Leander’s POV, and not a romance in that book. More of a psychological study of a fascinating character. That same part of the overall story is glossed over in book 3, which is the real problem. It is a crucial pivotal part of the plot and character arcs, and the reader of book 3 is shown pretty much none of it from Bennett’s POV, despite all the seeding and setup. Crucial beats are told in summary, and the timeline is so nebulous that it becomes a jumble of And then This happened! And this! without context about how much time is passing, or much info at all about how any of the characters are working toward their mutual goals. We’re given all the beauty and fun of the formation of the marvelous bond between Bennett and Leander (murderous soulmates divine!) and then we’re almost completely shut out of the final payoff. We’re shown nothing of Leander’s state of mind and motivations at the end, which, previously, the author had so beautifully shown through Bennett’s point of view. It’s MADDENING. Shoot I’m still angry. *takesdeepbreath*

I did not read book 1, as the author had noted to MM readers that it is not necessary to read it to feel the story is complete. That is true, and I greatly appreciated the note! I started with book 2, and I do recommend it if you want to get into Leander’s head, which is a fascinating place. However, I DNFd that book at 42%, for reasons stated in the spoilers section below. I did skip to the end chapters hoping to gain insight into Leander’s state of mind and motivations during the same events at the end of book 3, but, there was no insight to be had, to the point that it seemed a deliberate avoidance of dealing with it, and also made the end of book 3 even more baffling and unsupported.

In this book, the meeting, connection, and development of the relationship between Bennett and Leander is *mwah* so utterly fabulous. Their instant chemistry, repartee, realization of meeting a uniquely kindred soul was an absolute joy and fun to read as it became a slow-burn romance in Bennett’s point of view. There’s nothing more fun than seeing a smart-ass, confident alphahole meet their soulmate and fall hard without even realizing it til it’s too late. This story is perfection…right up to the point where it so completely, unnecessarily, and mind-bogglingly falls apart. Yeah, yeah, it still ends “well,” but the WTFery at the end undercuts all the marvelous, nuanced and masterful setup, to the point that I was in tears listening to Sting’s “What Could Have Been" from Arcane and wondering if I even want to read the next book. (Ultimately, I did and loved it!)

Essentially, during the pivotal opening scenes of act 3, the author has Leander act out of character to force the conflict, and then doesn’t develop or even reveal events leading to the finale, including the emotional fallout. And yet, somehow, all is well at the end. It felt…disrespectful. Instead of a nuanced and tension-filled story element, we’re given a ham-handed, stereotypical plot point, a lack of any insight or development of a LOT of important details, and then a tacked on, unsupported, happy for now ending. What the heck happened?

***SPOILERS***
Specifics for those who want to know. Book 1 shows, from Dr. Lorelei Clayton’s POV, what happens to hero Leander Welles after he is arrested for murder (which happens about ¾ of the way through book 3 timeline-wise) and his time in the psych ward. Book 2 is that exact same story told from Leander’s point of view, which began as a truly fascinating read. But as noted, I DNFd at 42% (plus reading the final 3 chapters looking for motivational insights to help me puzzle out book 3), because my interest in reading about Leander getting together with Lorelei, in any capacity, was less than zero. Talk about an annoying AF character, and a woman written as a plot device. Big Nope. A couple measly seeds are dropped for Bennett and Leander, but, by 42%, I no longer cared. Book 3, told in Bennett’s point of view, goes years back in time, long before Leander’s arrest for murder, to show how Bennett meets Leander Welles…and THAT is the crown jewel for MM readers. Except.

After the long-time, slow burn development of one of the most delicious, unlikely friendships-turned-hot AF romances in existence, the way that the author sets Bennett and Leander at odds does not make sense for the characters she created. The way they’re ripped apart absolutely does, but, the confrontation between them about it rang utterly false. Essentially, Leander’s life is threatened by a mob boss Bennett has worked for; Bennett is attacked and left for dead by said mob boss, and to protect Leander, Bennett tells Leander none of this and ghosts him (of course this all happens just after they’ve finally—FINALLY!—spent one incendiary night together—whoosh it is HOT.). Leander finally shows up to confront Bennett about why he ghosted him, sees that Bennett was horribly beaten/injured…and lets Bennett push him away, believing his nonsense about “we shouldn’t be romantic anymore” without solid reason. Leander and Bennett are both FAR sharper than your average person. There is no conceivable way that Leander wouldn’t realize pretty quickly that Bennett was pushing him away to protect him. In fact, given the characterization of both, there is also no way Leander would let him get away with what is so obviously total B.S. But he does. WHAT? I felt so manipulated at that point I almost stopped reading. Then it got worse. Leander doesn’t do anything to look into Bennett’s situation to see what really happened with his man—he does nothing you’d expect from someone so insightful, intelligent, and most important…calculating. He takes it at face value and accepts it (badly). It made no sense for his character, and, frankly, diminished him a lot.

But it gets worse again. After Leander’s arrest for murder, his imprisonment, and his assignment to a psychiatric ward for mental evaluation, Leander is under the care of Dr. Lorelei Clayton. Off page in this book (it’s the plot of books 1 and 2), he seduces her, winds up in a s3xual relationship with her, is up to his neck involved with her—and it’s barely mentioned in book 3 except as a plot device to…make Bennett jealous and get off his butt, I guess? It makes sense that we don’t see those details, as we aren’t in Leander’s POV in this book. What doesn’t make sense is that we see barely ANY details of what Bennett and Leander’s crew are doing on the outside to free him during those months. Despite there being potential ways to reveal more of what Leander is going through, and how Bennett is enacting their contingency plans in case of this scenario, almost nothing is shown at all. There’s also never a confrontation with Leander, Lorelei, and Bennett, and we are given no insight at all as to why, despite now being with Lorelei, and despite having cut Bennett out of his life as much as possible due to his hurt and anger, Leander suddenly is reaching out to Bennett, smiling at him, open to seeing him again, seeming to be over his devastation, and next thing you know, they’re suddenly admitting their feelings, and all is well. And never mind Lorelei, let’s just forget she exists, even though she’s…possibly?…living in Leander’s house as his live-in lover? WHAT???

Sure, readers already know Bennett and Leander are madly in love, they just had to admit it to each other, but, it was possibly the most unsatisfying reunion in the history of ever. And I’m angry, because it should have been one of the best. It was undercut by this clunky deus ex machina breakup and off-page massively important but not shown at all struggle with Leander’s arrest and incarceration/evaluation. We are shown almost nothing of the strategies that Bennett and Leander and his cohorts set up in case of this situation, precious little of the team acting on them, which is a massive letdown and massive missed opportunity for story, for tension, for character development, plot development, all the developments. And then to not be shown ANY motivation whatsoever for Leander’s about-face with Bennett? (I admit, I even read the final chapters of book 2 to see the events from Leander’s point of view. There is NO insight whatsoever into his feelings for Bennett. It’s as if Bennett is an acquaintance, hardly registering on Leander’s radar. Seeing Bennett for the first time once he’s freed is a nonevent for Leander, he hardly spares a thought beyond a sort of, Huh, that’s interesting. There was no tension, no emotional conflict shown to the reader AT ALL.) This element was so hugely incomprehensibly disappointing that even with all the incredible content prior, it diminished the entire book for me and brought down the rating significantly. And made me so mad! This could have been Derwyn’s best work. Instead, it reads like an unsuccessful writer’s exercise in which the assignment was to write the same story from three different points of view.

Leander’s intimate s3xual relationship Lorelei Clayton isn’t dealt with at all. From what I read at the end of book 2, it isn’t addressed there either, which is equally baffling. Here, it’s mentioned as an afterthought and dismissed without any qualm or hint that it matters to either hero. I detest emotional cheating more than almost anything in a romance—especially when it’s manipulated by a stereotypical noncommunication conflict—it’s often (but not always) a cause for DNF for me, but, in this instance, I hated seeing it not addressed even more. Not even given a full page of consideration. It was so weird and confusing.

**END SPOILERS**

HFN. One hero emotionally cheating on each other (no actual cheating, but, it feels like cheating) with no resolution. Amazing lead characters, and so many memorable moments. What’s good is great, but what doesn’t work is aggravating to the point of pain. Recommended with extreme prejudice, but, book 4 is highly recommended and redeems this a bit.