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Saint and Sinners #4
Mercer
Saint, Cash, Brutal, and Mercer are everything to me. A fact I should not have let slip.
A battle rages and only the last man standing claims victory.
I must take back what's mine amid deception, lies, and a city-wide gang war laying waste to all in its path.
The question is will the men I love be standing with me?
Mercer is a dark contemporary reverse harem romance. This is the final book in the series and features language, dark themes, and sexual scenes. If you're cool with that, dive in!
A battle rages and only the last man standing claims victory.
I must take back what's mine amid deception, lies, and a city-wide gang war laying waste to all in its path.
The question is will the men I love be standing with me?
Mercer is a dark contemporary reverse harem romance. This is the final book in the series and features language, dark themes, and sexual scenes. If you're cool with that, dive in!
310 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2021
435 people are currently reading
1072 people want to read
About the author
Ruby Vincent
79 books1,230 followersRuby Vincent is a published author with many novels under her belt but now she's taking a fun foray into contemporary romance. She loves saucy heroines, bold alpha males, and weaving a tale where both get their happy ever after.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
June 18, 2021
Mercer (Book 4 of Saint & Sinners series) started off slow. The cliffhanger in Brutal’s book where Mercer runs out the door after the truth of Mercer Santos is reported on the news left me salivating for his story. Unfortunately, I did not find it very satisfying. There were quite a few holes in the storyline and bits that were unbelievable. Mercer is a suave & smooth character with many different skills: infiltrator, assassin, fixer, body paint artist. He can own different identities & personalities with ease. He’s the whole package tied in one big deceiving bow. He infiltrated the Merchants and fought at their side for years under Mercer Santos’s identity all bc he was hired by someone to play babysitter to Saint.
My biggest question: Did he actually care for the Merchants like a brother??
I still can’t answer that. Most of the time, it seemed like Jasper didn’t really give a shit about them. He did his job and the jobs given to him by the Merchants without complaint, but no real feelings mixed in. In Book 4, Mercer only really spoke of his love for Adeline. For some reason, this bothered me. The Merchants were supposed to be this band of brothers, unrelated, but family all the same. I got that vibe from Saint, Killian, & Baris, but Jasper was this outlier who didn’t really seem to care whether those men lived or died as long as Adeline was by his side. What I did like about Jasper? His daughter. She humanized him. I can respect a man who would do anything for his kid. But I had to agree with Saint. Mercer/Jasper wasn’t a Merchant. Not really.
My take on the whole series:
1) I was unable to connect with Adeline throughout the series. I liked her better as an innocent chef trying to survive the hardships of life. She was more believable that way. At the end of Book 1, we find out that the innocent chef was just a persona she was carrying in order to infiltrate the Merchants, kill them, and take over their gang. In my opinion, the best part about her was her sass and intelligence. Got to love a girl who can respond with witty comebacks and knows how to set up a good plan. However, Addy claims to be a badass skilled killer. She talks a big game. The Merchants even talk like she’s scary and dangerous. Instead, Addy gives no real evidence of this claim. She rides the backs of her men and her BFF, Gianna, throughout the whole series while claiming the victories for herself. Gianna, a sniper, is the real hero in the story. She’s always there to help Addy out of a bind and saves her ass on multiple occasions. I can see why the two women fell out in Book 3. I had to agree with Gianna. Addy wanted the ledger in order to rule Cinco City bc her dad told her it was her birthright. But what had she done in order to deserve it? Not much in my opinion.
2) Adeline was a doormat to the people in her life. Her mother was the biggest example. Addy allowed her mother to beat and steal from her at every turn, knowing Jocelyn was stalking her at her job & her father’s retirement home. And then, Addy goes running into a dangerous situation to save her mother from Thiago Pais knowing the woman does not care one iota about her. I understand family is family and yada yada. But, would a badass female allow such a toxic person to continuously run her over??
As for Gianna, Addy excused all of her friend’s horrible behavior. The girl abducts Addy, strangles her with rope, shoved a bomb under her bed, and blasted her house to smithereens. To this Addy just says, “It’s okay! I know she didn’t really want to kill me!”
3) I had a huge problem with Oscar Redgrave, Addy’s dad. He’s supposed to be this badass gangster/fixer/OG Kieran. He finds his daughter being used as a sexual bargaining chip by her mother, Jocelyn, in order score drugs and does nothing about it. I’m supposed to believe that a man like him just takes Addy away and let’s the woman live??
4)By the end, I still didn’t feel a real connection between Addy & the Merchants. Their relationship just felt forced, one of convenience/common ground. In the first book, Addy & Saint have sex when he lets her out of the cage. Sex is instantly followed by “I love you” and “we’re soulmates”. It was like that with each of the men, except Mercer. She loved him before the dick, but no real evidence as of why. It was like Addy was desperate for their love and affection, continuously asking if they loved her, without even really getting to know them first. Desperate is not a good look.
4) The ending. A little predictable, but satisfying in the way it circled back to the beginning of Saint’s story. I loved the epilogue scene where pregnant Addy is surrounded by her protective men and Jasper’s daughter, Rosie. What did not make sense? Addy living under a fake name after faking her death, only to open a restaurant in Cinco City where EVERYONE knows her.
5) My biggest complaint about the whole series is the fact the story is told almost entirely through dialogue. With the exception of Brutal’s book bc the man didn’t talk until towards the end after he kills his sister in the tournament. SO. MUCH. DIALOGUE!!!
My biggest question: Did he actually care for the Merchants like a brother??
I still can’t answer that. Most of the time, it seemed like Jasper didn’t really give a shit about them. He did his job and the jobs given to him by the Merchants without complaint, but no real feelings mixed in. In Book 4, Mercer only really spoke of his love for Adeline. For some reason, this bothered me. The Merchants were supposed to be this band of brothers, unrelated, but family all the same. I got that vibe from Saint, Killian, & Baris, but Jasper was this outlier who didn’t really seem to care whether those men lived or died as long as Adeline was by his side. What I did like about Jasper? His daughter. She humanized him. I can respect a man who would do anything for his kid. But I had to agree with Saint. Mercer/Jasper wasn’t a Merchant. Not really.
My take on the whole series:
1) I was unable to connect with Adeline throughout the series. I liked her better as an innocent chef trying to survive the hardships of life. She was more believable that way. At the end of Book 1, we find out that the innocent chef was just a persona she was carrying in order to infiltrate the Merchants, kill them, and take over their gang. In my opinion, the best part about her was her sass and intelligence. Got to love a girl who can respond with witty comebacks and knows how to set up a good plan. However, Addy claims to be a badass skilled killer. She talks a big game. The Merchants even talk like she’s scary and dangerous. Instead, Addy gives no real evidence of this claim. She rides the backs of her men and her BFF, Gianna, throughout the whole series while claiming the victories for herself. Gianna, a sniper, is the real hero in the story. She’s always there to help Addy out of a bind and saves her ass on multiple occasions. I can see why the two women fell out in Book 3. I had to agree with Gianna. Addy wanted the ledger in order to rule Cinco City bc her dad told her it was her birthright. But what had she done in order to deserve it? Not much in my opinion.
2) Adeline was a doormat to the people in her life. Her mother was the biggest example. Addy allowed her mother to beat and steal from her at every turn, knowing Jocelyn was stalking her at her job & her father’s retirement home. And then, Addy goes running into a dangerous situation to save her mother from Thiago Pais knowing the woman does not care one iota about her. I understand family is family and yada yada. But, would a badass female allow such a toxic person to continuously run her over??
As for Gianna, Addy excused all of her friend’s horrible behavior. The girl abducts Addy, strangles her with rope, shoved a bomb under her bed, and blasted her house to smithereens. To this Addy just says, “It’s okay! I know she didn’t really want to kill me!”
3) I had a huge problem with Oscar Redgrave, Addy’s dad. He’s supposed to be this badass gangster/fixer/OG Kieran. He finds his daughter being used as a sexual bargaining chip by her mother, Jocelyn, in order score drugs and does nothing about it. I’m supposed to believe that a man like him just takes Addy away and let’s the woman live??
4)By the end, I still didn’t feel a real connection between Addy & the Merchants. Their relationship just felt forced, one of convenience/common ground. In the first book, Addy & Saint have sex when he lets her out of the cage. Sex is instantly followed by “I love you” and “we’re soulmates”. It was like that with each of the men, except Mercer. She loved him before the dick, but no real evidence as of why. It was like Addy was desperate for their love and affection, continuously asking if they loved her, without even really getting to know them first. Desperate is not a good look.
4) The ending. A little predictable, but satisfying in the way it circled back to the beginning of Saint’s story. I loved the epilogue scene where pregnant Addy is surrounded by her protective men and Jasper’s daughter, Rosie. What did not make sense? Addy living under a fake name after faking her death, only to open a restaurant in Cinco City where EVERYONE knows her.
5) My biggest complaint about the whole series is the fact the story is told almost entirely through dialogue. With the exception of Brutal’s book bc the man didn’t talk until towards the end after he kills his sister in the tournament. SO. MUCH. DIALOGUE!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2021
It was well written. But it was exhausting...almost non stop action and this just left me tired? So many questions about Mercer but so little time as so much was going on
June 25, 2021
Most of the time I hated this book. It took me forever to finish it mostly because I paused to read another 2 books and it was only my strong will that let me finish it. This book was sloppy, and not well-thought through. It was as if the author didn't know what to do with Mercer until the last book and then she came up with this awful plot with many holes in it. And even the sweet HEA she gave them didn't save the book for me. For the first time in my reading experience, I wished that one of the love interest had died in the end. This is the only way I could see his redemption.
Let's talk about some specifics.
I really regret my sleep deprivation today. I wanted to finish the book and I was afraid if I paused I won't bring myself to finish it otherwise. So here's me, sleepy and annoyed as hell.
Let's talk about some specifics.
I really regret my sleep deprivation today. I wanted to finish the book and I was afraid if I paused I won't bring myself to finish it otherwise. So here's me, sleepy and annoyed as hell.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2021
4.5/5 ⭐️
WOW! Ruby Vincent did it, coming through with the conclusion to the finale that is Mercer in the Saint and Sinners series.
Mercer picks up right off from the cliffhanger ending in Brutal, with the story being told through dual POVs by “Mercer” himself and Adeline.
Given how Brutal ended, we now know Mercer Santos isn’t who he claims to be. So throughout the story, we follow Adeline (again of course) but this time alongside “Mercer” and their journeys not only together. But at the same time separately too, given what we now know about “Mercer”.
That being said, the enigma that “Mercer” was throughout the series is finally yet slowly unravelled all through this book, giving us missing pieces, hints and clues into things we may not have seen or even missed out on. Or didn’t even think to question, when it came to "Mercer" and his story. Leading us on his journey (alongside Adeline) with having to start all over again. Since in order for us and Adeline to understand who (he is), what (he did), why (he did it) and where this all started for “Mercer”, we had to be taken back to the past. Giving us more of an understanding in helping to connect the dots in all things “Mercer”. Creating a full circle, since everything leads back to his present.
With this being the final book, all the mystery encircling the questions and information we were learning/gaining/acknowledging, alongside the build up of suspense that was surrounding it throughout the series finally comes to head in Mercer.
While simultaneously dropping a few BIG, BAD (in a good way), SURPRISINGLY, JAW-DROPPING EXPLOSIVES secrets and twists along the way! Some of which were given early on in the story, that I definitely didn’t see coming at all.
Yet we are still finally able to be graced with all the answers to questions that Ruby had us asking all through Saint, Cash, Brutal and now Mercer. Ultimately giving us what we needed to complete this insanely twisted and intricate puzzle, when it came to the labyrinth that is “Mercer” & the Merchants, Adeline, Gianna, Kings, Kieran, The Ledger etc in the complex world of Cinco City!
I have to admit, shockingly I had a harder time with reading this book. I guess mainly because it felt like the narrative had slowed down quite a bit whilst becoming dry, at least in comparison to the previous three books of Saint, Cash and Brutal.
It just felt a little too bland and lacklustre (at times) for my liking with the constant repetitiveness of the same “Mercer” and Addie moments within scenes. It felt like those moments within those scenes was like Groundhogs Day, causing the progression of the story to be prolonged at times when it wasn't needed.
At the same time, those moments were actually what had me not liking “Mercer”. But not just because of their scenes together, his character as a whole just had me feeling wary, cautious and disliking him. Especially given the betrayal and all the hurt he caused Adeline and the Merchants with all his lies. It just made it hard to know when he was being genuine and/or whether to trust him or not. He definitely had me sceptical of him and his intentions all throughout. Also, I felt Adeline was definitely not the same girl with how she was portrayed in this book. Giving how easily she seemed to give in and become trusting of "Mercer", something she wouldn't normally do if her personality throughout the series is any indication.
However with that said, Ruby Vincent still managed to once again reel me back in with Mercer despite all that. Grasping on, I was sucked back into the abyss that was this finale. Brought on by the mystery, suspense, action, drama that occurs through all the twists, turns, loops and drops in this whirlwind ADVENTUROUS rollercoaster ride.
Plus can’t forget about all the sensual prowess that "Mercer" and Adeline brought on, when it came to their moments of losing themselves in each other by giving into their sexual desires. They were like animals in the heat, wild with desire. Resulting in constant attacks on one another through their FIERY, LUSTFUL, SIZZLING, STEAMY, RED-HOT moments of screwing each other at any given time, place or moment. Especially considering all the sparks that were flying between the two with their chemistry, when it came to torrid affair and never being able to get enough of each other.
Alongside Adeline’s desires for when it came to Saint, Cash and Brutal too. That girl just could not get enough! Always wanting and needing more.
All in all, this story was a AWESOMELY great read! And overall an ABSO-FREAKIN’-LUTELY EPICALLY written masterpiece of a series by Ruby Vincent.
To which I say I HIGHLY RECOMMEND! If there ever was a series to read, this would be it!
It is bittersweet with this series being over, but knowing that this probably won’t be the last we see of Adeline and the Merchants, seeing as there will be a spin-off series. The Savage Heirs series, with Son of Saint being the first story. A continuation of the Saint and Sinners series has me excited!
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
WOW! Ruby Vincent did it, coming through with the conclusion to the finale that is Mercer in the Saint and Sinners series.
Mercer picks up right off from the cliffhanger ending in Brutal, with the story being told through dual POVs by “Mercer” himself and Adeline.
Given how Brutal ended, we now know Mercer Santos isn’t who he claims to be. So throughout the story, we follow Adeline (again of course) but this time alongside “Mercer” and their journeys not only together. But at the same time separately too, given what we now know about “Mercer”.
That being said, the enigma that “Mercer” was throughout the series is finally yet slowly unravelled all through this book, giving us missing pieces, hints and clues into things we may not have seen or even missed out on. Or didn’t even think to question, when it came to "Mercer" and his story. Leading us on his journey (alongside Adeline) with having to start all over again. Since in order for us and Adeline to understand who (he is), what (he did), why (he did it) and where this all started for “Mercer”, we had to be taken back to the past. Giving us more of an understanding in helping to connect the dots in all things “Mercer”. Creating a full circle, since everything leads back to his present.
With this being the final book, all the mystery encircling the questions and information we were learning/gaining/acknowledging, alongside the build up of suspense that was surrounding it throughout the series finally comes to head in Mercer.
While simultaneously dropping a few BIG, BAD (in a good way), SURPRISINGLY, JAW-DROPPING EXPLOSIVES secrets and twists along the way! Some of which were given early on in the story, that I definitely didn’t see coming at all.
Yet we are still finally able to be graced with all the answers to questions that Ruby had us asking all through Saint, Cash, Brutal and now Mercer. Ultimately giving us what we needed to complete this insanely twisted and intricate puzzle, when it came to the labyrinth that is “Mercer” & the Merchants, Adeline, Gianna, Kings, Kieran, The Ledger etc in the complex world of Cinco City!
I have to admit, shockingly I had a harder time with reading this book. I guess mainly because it felt like the narrative had slowed down quite a bit whilst becoming dry, at least in comparison to the previous three books of Saint, Cash and Brutal.
It just felt a little too bland and lacklustre (at times) for my liking with the constant repetitiveness of the same “Mercer” and Addie moments within scenes. It felt like those moments within those scenes was like Groundhogs Day, causing the progression of the story to be prolonged at times when it wasn't needed.
At the same time, those moments were actually what had me not liking “Mercer”. But not just because of their scenes together, his character as a whole just had me feeling wary, cautious and disliking him. Especially given the betrayal and all the hurt he caused Adeline and the Merchants with all his lies. It just made it hard to know when he was being genuine and/or whether to trust him or not. He definitely had me sceptical of him and his intentions all throughout. Also, I felt Adeline was definitely not the same girl with how she was portrayed in this book. Giving how easily she seemed to give in and become trusting of "Mercer", something she wouldn't normally do if her personality throughout the series is any indication.
However with that said, Ruby Vincent still managed to once again reel me back in with Mercer despite all that. Grasping on, I was sucked back into the abyss that was this finale. Brought on by the mystery, suspense, action, drama that occurs through all the twists, turns, loops and drops in this whirlwind ADVENTUROUS rollercoaster ride.
Plus can’t forget about all the sensual prowess that "Mercer" and Adeline brought on, when it came to their moments of losing themselves in each other by giving into their sexual desires. They were like animals in the heat, wild with desire. Resulting in constant attacks on one another through their FIERY, LUSTFUL, SIZZLING, STEAMY, RED-HOT moments of screwing each other at any given time, place or moment. Especially considering all the sparks that were flying between the two with their chemistry, when it came to torrid affair and never being able to get enough of each other.
Alongside Adeline’s desires for when it came to Saint, Cash and Brutal too. That girl just could not get enough! Always wanting and needing more.
All in all, this story was a AWESOMELY great read! And overall an ABSO-FREAKIN’-LUTELY EPICALLY written masterpiece of a series by Ruby Vincent.
To which I say I HIGHLY RECOMMEND! If there ever was a series to read, this would be it!
It is bittersweet with this series being over, but knowing that this probably won’t be the last we see of Adeline and the Merchants, seeing as there will be a spin-off series. The Savage Heirs series, with Son of Saint being the first story. A continuation of the Saint and Sinners series has me excited!
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2021
Very rushed ending
While I enjoyed the story, the writing style definitely threw me off some. Missing commas that made sentences hard to read. Words used the incorrect way. I’ve read other books by this author and didn’t have this problem, so I’m not completely sure what happened during the editing and proof reading of this series. Also, I loved all the twists and turns, there was something new happening all of the time, and I just didn’t feel like the ending did it justice. It was very rushed.
Spoilers:
-knowing Mercer’s real name in this book, at the very end, after calling him by his true name the whole book, the author accidentally calls him by Mercer again.
-addy fakes her death, yet she opens up her own restaurant in cinco city where she’s the head chef… how does this work since she’s supposedly dead?
-after all the lying “Mercer” did the entire book, we learn at the very end his true motivations, and then it’s over and there’s an epilogue where they are all happily ever after. It was just sooooo rushed. Y’all find out he’s STILL been lying, no matter what the reason was, and boom it’s over. I wanted to see them at least BEGIN to overcome everything before we got an epilogue
-I did enjoy that it felt like the last two books had more interactions between Addy and each guy, rather than just the one guy who is in the title of the book. The first two books were allllllll about the main guy for that book and I didn’t really enjoy that as much as how your traditional reverse harem is written, when each guy is a main part of each book.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad series, but I don’t think it’s the best by this author either
While I enjoyed the story, the writing style definitely threw me off some. Missing commas that made sentences hard to read. Words used the incorrect way. I’ve read other books by this author and didn’t have this problem, so I’m not completely sure what happened during the editing and proof reading of this series. Also, I loved all the twists and turns, there was something new happening all of the time, and I just didn’t feel like the ending did it justice. It was very rushed.
Spoilers:
-knowing Mercer’s real name in this book, at the very end, after calling him by his true name the whole book, the author accidentally calls him by Mercer again.
-addy fakes her death, yet she opens up her own restaurant in cinco city where she’s the head chef… how does this work since she’s supposedly dead?
-after all the lying “Mercer” did the entire book, we learn at the very end his true motivations, and then it’s over and there’s an epilogue where they are all happily ever after. It was just sooooo rushed. Y’all find out he’s STILL been lying, no matter what the reason was, and boom it’s over. I wanted to see them at least BEGIN to overcome everything before we got an epilogue
-I did enjoy that it felt like the last two books had more interactions between Addy and each guy, rather than just the one guy who is in the title of the book. The first two books were allllllll about the main guy for that book and I didn’t really enjoy that as much as how your traditional reverse harem is written, when each guy is a main part of each book.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad series, but I don’t think it’s the best by this author either
December 10, 2022
4⭐️ 2.5🌶️
“We’ve never done this right. We kidnapped you, then fell in love. You plotted to kill us, then saved our lives. We began on the wrong foot and ended up where we needed to be.”
This definitely had a lot of potential and I did like most of the book. Mercer/ Jasper was the most romantic of the 4 guys. I loved that he wanted to wait to have a physical relationship with Adeline until he could do it with his true identity 🫠 Their attraction and chemistry was hot and heavy. And it was interesting to get his backstory.
I have to say Ruby has quite an imagination and the plot and characters were so well thought out and executed, up until the second half of this book. I dunno, it’s like she knew she had to end it, but the sharp drop off in the ending to the prior 3 and half books was very noticeable. There was so much built up around who Mercer was working for and why he had to hide himself from the other Merchants that the final revelation had me scratching my head 🤔
I was glad to see Gianna redeem herself but for how strong and badass Adeline is she is still so stupid when it comes to trusting people. Honestly there’s a scene where her mom was involved and I was screaming 😡
I wanted more of the other guys too, although any part they were in made me smile. Especially Saint 😍
”Fine by me.” Sinjin popped a kiss on my lips. “I’d like my Bunny there while I take my final revenge.” His finger glided down the valley of my breasts. “You hold him down while I carve his chest open.”
As usual, this was action packed and kept my attention right to the end. What is was sorely lacking though…group scenes 😫😫 This is definitely not your traditional RH. I enjoyed it, but it’s really 4 individual relationships 🤷🏻♀️ But one big happy family
Saint filled the entrance, knife white-knuckled in his grip. “We said something about an ass-kicking?”
“Excuse me, love,” said Jasper. “We’ll pick this up in a second.”
“-you,” I finished as they flew at each other. I sighed.
Yes, that’s what the proposal was missing.
Blood.
The ending was oddly sweet and really wrapped up this wild ride nicely. I recommend this series if you’re in it more for the plot than the smut. 😏
“We’ve never done this right. We kidnapped you, then fell in love. You plotted to kill us, then saved our lives. We began on the wrong foot and ended up where we needed to be.”
This definitely had a lot of potential and I did like most of the book. Mercer/ Jasper was the most romantic of the 4 guys. I loved that he wanted to wait to have a physical relationship with Adeline until he could do it with his true identity 🫠 Their attraction and chemistry was hot and heavy. And it was interesting to get his backstory.
I have to say Ruby has quite an imagination and the plot and characters were so well thought out and executed, up until the second half of this book. I dunno, it’s like she knew she had to end it, but the sharp drop off in the ending to the prior 3 and half books was very noticeable. There was so much built up around who Mercer was working for and why he had to hide himself from the other Merchants that the final revelation had me scratching my head 🤔
I was glad to see Gianna redeem herself but for how strong and badass Adeline is she is still so stupid when it comes to trusting people. Honestly there’s a scene where her mom was involved and I was screaming 😡
I wanted more of the other guys too, although any part they were in made me smile. Especially Saint 😍
”Fine by me.” Sinjin popped a kiss on my lips. “I’d like my Bunny there while I take my final revenge.” His finger glided down the valley of my breasts. “You hold him down while I carve his chest open.”
As usual, this was action packed and kept my attention right to the end. What is was sorely lacking though…group scenes 😫😫 This is definitely not your traditional RH. I enjoyed it, but it’s really 4 individual relationships 🤷🏻♀️ But one big happy family
Saint filled the entrance, knife white-knuckled in his grip. “We said something about an ass-kicking?”
“Excuse me, love,” said Jasper. “We’ll pick this up in a second.”
“-you,” I finished as they flew at each other. I sighed.
Yes, that’s what the proposal was missing.
Blood.
The ending was oddly sweet and really wrapped up this wild ride nicely. I recommend this series if you’re in it more for the plot than the smut. 😏
July 11, 2022
perfect ending!
This book was amazing it was everything we needed to finish up the story. It was still so full of excitement, twists and turns you won’t see coming and a whole lot of love and hotness. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
This book was amazing it was everything we needed to finish up the story. It was still so full of excitement, twists and turns you won’t see coming and a whole lot of love and hotness. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
November 26, 2022
I don’t get why people think lying is a “protection” thing
I mean just do it for fun
Seriously people
I mean just do it for fun
Seriously people
August 21, 2025
3.75⭐️
June 11, 2021
Epic conclusion to a great series.!
This story kept me on the edge of my seat. There were twists and turns to the very end. 🤯 I was suprised by most of the events that took place, and I loved that. These books kept me engaged and needing to know what the hell was going on! Dang! What a ride! I am sad that it is over.😢
This series has everything you need in a good gang story. Hot badass guys that fall hard for the badass FMC, lots of action, suspense, secrets, lies, steamy sex, and a heart pounding "why choose" love story. And, the cherry on top, a satisfying ending with no loose ends. ❤❤
Absolutely will recommend!
This story kept me on the edge of my seat. There were twists and turns to the very end. 🤯 I was suprised by most of the events that took place, and I loved that. These books kept me engaged and needing to know what the hell was going on! Dang! What a ride! I am sad that it is over.😢
This series has everything you need in a good gang story. Hot badass guys that fall hard for the badass FMC, lots of action, suspense, secrets, lies, steamy sex, and a heart pounding "why choose" love story. And, the cherry on top, a satisfying ending with no loose ends. ❤❤
Absolutely will recommend!
November 17, 2021
3.5 Stars
Well this sure was a crazy series. There were quite a few twists and turns I never saw coming. I surely never thought Mercer would turn out to be the most mysterious one, clouded in so many secrets and half truths. The book picked up right where the last explosive end left us, Mercer running out the door leaving everyone with question marks above their head. It’s funny because in every book there’s always one of them on the outskirts, trying to prove themselves. In all honesty I had a love hate relationship with this book mostly because the secrets just created so much excess drama, not to mention that damn ledger being more trouble than it’s worth. I really did enjoy the end though and how things wrapped up. A nice epilogue delivered the perfect HEA and I’m glad they all found a way to be in ‘charge’ but also live their own fulfilled lives.
Well this sure was a crazy series. There were quite a few twists and turns I never saw coming. I surely never thought Mercer would turn out to be the most mysterious one, clouded in so many secrets and half truths. The book picked up right where the last explosive end left us, Mercer running out the door leaving everyone with question marks above their head. It’s funny because in every book there’s always one of them on the outskirts, trying to prove themselves. In all honesty I had a love hate relationship with this book mostly because the secrets just created so much excess drama, not to mention that damn ledger being more trouble than it’s worth. I really did enjoy the end though and how things wrapped up. A nice epilogue delivered the perfect HEA and I’m glad they all found a way to be in ‘charge’ but also live their own fulfilled lives.
August 15, 2021
I had to take a few days before writing my actual review. I also peeked other's reviews to make sure I was not the odd man out.
The overall story line, the organized crime, the ledger, and the Merchants individual hardships was good. I really liked the diversity, the creativity, the raw power and shocking kills.
At first I didn't love Addy until her true nature and intentions were unveiled. Once she stopped pretending I thought she was bad ass. Gia for me went from bad ass to annoying. However in this book they both were just acting out of character and making dumb ass decisions.
Addy wtf. Your mom is trash, it was a struggle to read their bullshit. I feel like the author knew that this the mom storyline was garbage and tried to rationalize it but it was just a waste of space.
Mercer's story is still a mystery. I would have rather had a 5th book than for him to be short changed the way he was. The ending was rushed, exhausting, and unbelievable. I felt like it was cartoonish and visions of Batman's Gotham took over while reading. It was beyond ridiculous.
I was not satisfied with the ending to the series. With that said it's still a good series and I am glad there is a spin off, hopefully that will help fill in some of the missing pieces.
The overall story line, the organized crime, the ledger, and the Merchants individual hardships was good. I really liked the diversity, the creativity, the raw power and shocking kills.
At first I didn't love Addy until her true nature and intentions were unveiled. Once she stopped pretending I thought she was bad ass. Gia for me went from bad ass to annoying. However in this book they both were just acting out of character and making dumb ass decisions.
Addy wtf. Your mom is trash, it was a struggle to read their bullshit. I feel like the author knew that this the mom storyline was garbage and tried to rationalize it but it was just a waste of space.
Mercer's story is still a mystery. I would have rather had a 5th book than for him to be short changed the way he was. The ending was rushed, exhausting, and unbelievable. I felt like it was cartoonish and visions of Batman's Gotham took over while reading. It was beyond ridiculous.
I was not satisfied with the ending to the series. With that said it's still a good series and I am glad there is a spin off, hopefully that will help fill in some of the missing pieces.
June 11, 2021
You know those movies that made a big hit on the first one but then started going downhill fm the second and so on, this is what I feel abt this series. The first book was perfectly amazing , esp with the twist on the end of book 1. But then each book started getting weirder and losing focus. On book 3 I was not emotionally involved and convinced anymore but I kept reading cos I needed to see how to main plot goes. Then this last book is just disappointing. Nothing explain how the guy became so into with the h all of a sudden........and then all the twists are senseless IMO. On the top of it, this sereis is a RH BUT there are very little, very little hot scenes among the books. I get that maybe it is intentional to keep this book more about the "brain" than the "boobs" but still a bit unsatisfied for reading 4 books but so little smut on it .
October 31, 2021
I loved this series. I can't believe it took me so long to finish the final book! The ending was so freaking clichéd but barring that I loved every minute! I found myself screaming "Just fucking kill him/her!!!" too many times.😂😂 Ruby Vincent's best series so far in my opinion! Can't wait for the next gen series!!
June 10, 2021
3.5 boyo this was...good, yet disappointing.
I know more than a few people have mentioned that end is...
Lackluster compared to the other books.
.
.
.
.
Really at the heart of it the biggest problem with this book is there are ways to, Show double cross. There are ways to display severe secrets and dishonesty. This falls flat compared to the reveals in the other 3 books. Mercer being a shell was disappointing but the lack of plot surrounding It's redemption hurt more. As a sister I really was looking forward to that dynamic and story. Also throwing in the entire Jasper story line and it running so flat. Not to mention, his personality is so inline with Cash..... I don't feel like we really needed someone so parallel to Killian's personality. In some scenarios it can totally work but Having red tons of RH/why choose? It felt more like a cop-out then Inspired or a pivotal point of the story. Like when he's 1st explaining everything and tells her that he didn't really need all the guys. That he was the perfect criminal and he had nothing lacking on like the others.... I just feel like If you're gonna go that route then later down the line with your secret backstabbing story line.... You give him a arc where his ego gets destroyed It set up a boat load of flags for certain types of stories and it didn't fulfill any of those flags. To be totally honest I might have been happier with his story if he end it up....stabbing everyone in the back?
I mean I'm not unhappy that it ends on a happy note. I'm just saying it doesn't ring true. Even over the course of a year magically they're all good. Who knows Maybe I miss something.... I just know all the 3 other books I could not finish them and less than a single setting and this book took me days to get through cause I just start and stop. And I don't know.
I'm still really happy that you made this series. But this is by far the weakest book out of the whole series.
That being said I am still very interested in the off shoot series.
I know more than a few people have mentioned that end is...
Lackluster compared to the other books.
.
.
.
.
Really at the heart of it the biggest problem with this book is there are ways to, Show double cross. There are ways to display severe secrets and dishonesty. This falls flat compared to the reveals in the other 3 books. Mercer being a shell was disappointing but the lack of plot surrounding It's redemption hurt more. As a sister I really was looking forward to that dynamic and story. Also throwing in the entire Jasper story line and it running so flat. Not to mention, his personality is so inline with Cash..... I don't feel like we really needed someone so parallel to Killian's personality. In some scenarios it can totally work but Having red tons of RH/why choose? It felt more like a cop-out then Inspired or a pivotal point of the story. Like when he's 1st explaining everything and tells her that he didn't really need all the guys. That he was the perfect criminal and he had nothing lacking on like the others.... I just feel like If you're gonna go that route then later down the line with your secret backstabbing story line.... You give him a arc where his ego gets destroyed It set up a boat load of flags for certain types of stories and it didn't fulfill any of those flags. To be totally honest I might have been happier with his story if he end it up....stabbing everyone in the back?
I mean I'm not unhappy that it ends on a happy note. I'm just saying it doesn't ring true. Even over the course of a year magically they're all good. Who knows Maybe I miss something.... I just know all the 3 other books I could not finish them and less than a single setting and this book took me days to get through cause I just start and stop. And I don't know.
I'm still really happy that you made this series. But this is by far the weakest book out of the whole series.
That being said I am still very interested in the off shoot series.
June 3, 2021
Mercer! It’s fitting that the mysterious Mercer would be the last book of the series and the one to expose so many truths! This was such a great conclusion to this story! It was as riddled with action and suspense as it was with emotion and steam. Ruby Vincent has floored me again!
Where did we leave off before? Oh yes, with the elusive Mercer taking off out of the lives of Adeline and the guys when the big secret at the end of Brutal is revealed. The repurcussions from Mercer’s exit have such an impact on Addy and the guys. Trust is broken. Love is tested.
And all while the city’s criminal underground searches for that cursed ledger and its most recent owner - a search that brings Cinco’s most deadly gangs up to duel it out on the city streets. Bullets, knives, and all out violence take over Cinco City and our fabulous Merchants are left to sort it all out.
Although the search for ledger was important, the focus of Mercer was the relationships between the characters - all of them. Addy and her guys. Mercer and the boys. Addy and Gianna. With everyone trying to repair relationships and atone for lies and misdeeds, secrets galore are revealed. Life-altering secrets!
There were twists and turns that had me holding my breath with anticipation. The action was thrilling and non-stop. The violence was bloody and abundant. And the revenge was oh so very sweet! The melancholy I felt to know this series was ending is tempered only because we are getting a spin-off and get to return to Cinco City!
I fell in love with all of these characters again! So, final thoughts…Mercer was absolutely fantastic!
Where did we leave off before? Oh yes, with the elusive Mercer taking off out of the lives of Adeline and the guys when the big secret at the end of Brutal is revealed. The repurcussions from Mercer’s exit have such an impact on Addy and the guys. Trust is broken. Love is tested.
And all while the city’s criminal underground searches for that cursed ledger and its most recent owner - a search that brings Cinco’s most deadly gangs up to duel it out on the city streets. Bullets, knives, and all out violence take over Cinco City and our fabulous Merchants are left to sort it all out.
Although the search for ledger was important, the focus of Mercer was the relationships between the characters - all of them. Addy and her guys. Mercer and the boys. Addy and Gianna. With everyone trying to repair relationships and atone for lies and misdeeds, secrets galore are revealed. Life-altering secrets!
There were twists and turns that had me holding my breath with anticipation. The action was thrilling and non-stop. The violence was bloody and abundant. And the revenge was oh so very sweet! The melancholy I felt to know this series was ending is tempered only because we are getting a spin-off and get to return to Cinco City!
I fell in love with all of these characters again! So, final thoughts…Mercer was absolutely fantastic!
June 1, 2021
What a conclusion to this series!! I didn't think it could get any better...i was so wrong! I just loved how Mercer's story played out, how all relationships were tested to the limit! The violence, the secrets, the twists you wont see coming.....all of it had me right on the edge......right to the end! I literally could not put this down!
I admit i am kind of sad it is over, but at least we had the perfect ending for Adeline and her guys...Saint, Cash, Brutal and Mercer!!
This story and series is dark and disturbing in places but it is so good! You really do not want to miss it!
I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review!
I admit i am kind of sad it is over, but at least we had the perfect ending for Adeline and her guys...Saint, Cash, Brutal and Mercer!!
This story and series is dark and disturbing in places but it is so good! You really do not want to miss it!
I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review!
January 4, 2023
Amazing!! There was a huge twist in this book! I’m glad we finally found out who Mercer really was. I love that Gianna and Adeline work through their disagreements and become friends again. I love her dad and how gangster he is. I love that the boys accept Jasper/Mercer finally and how they all marry Adeline in the end. I love that they all live through everything while still having the ledger. This was an amazing series and I definitely recommend to anyone who loves romance, action, and a dark aspect to the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2021
Action packed to the very end. I really enjoyed this series. Yet I still have questions about Jasper…I felt the end was a little rushed and things weren’t explained as clearly as they could be. Yes I get who he was working for and all that, but I feel like we didn’t get to know him nearly as well as the others. Still very enjoyable but the end was predictable with the type of HEA it had. If you know you know.
December 25, 2021
I didn't care for this one as much as the others and I really think it was mostly the writing itself.
It was like Vincent hurried through this one just to end the series. Not only was the pacing really off, especially toward the end, but there were a lot of typos and grammatical errors that just weren't in her previous books, at least in this series. So much emphasis was placed on who Mercer really is and his relationship with Addy in the beginning that the end was rushed just to make up the story. The last couple chapters really just felt thrown together from the point All just hurried. And considering this was supposed to be the big finale, it left the series wanting for me as a whole.
It was like Vincent hurried through this one just to end the series. Not only was the pacing really off, especially toward the end, but there were a lot of typos and grammatical errors that just weren't in her previous books, at least in this series. So much emphasis was placed on who Mercer really is and his relationship with Addy in the beginning that the end was rushed just to make up the story. The last couple chapters really just felt thrown together from the point All just hurried. And considering this was supposed to be the big finale, it left the series wanting for me as a whole.
October 4, 2025
(hoopla) This one gets a little hard to follow and the amount of secrets Mercer keeps is frustrating. But it all comes together eventually and it's a bloody happy ending. Mercer/Jasper/Alaric is not my favorite character. He's very hard to know and relate to. The book is still very entertaining though.
October 31, 2021
Seriously wonderful Mafia Romance
Yeah this is the fourth and final book in the series and it is really great, it ties up all of different plot threads and it has a terrific HEA at the end. The story has a lot of action 🔥 scenes and plot twists and it all makes for a great book in a seriously wonderful Mafia series. I am so glad to have found this writer.
Yeah this is the fourth and final book in the series and it is really great, it ties up all of different plot threads and it has a terrific HEA at the end. The story has a lot of action 🔥 scenes and plot twists and it all makes for a great book in a seriously wonderful Mafia series. I am so glad to have found this writer.
November 20, 2021
All the secrets annoyed me way too freaking much.
January 17, 2022
Where to start... I suppose I liked this book enough to continue reading but I definitely felt like I had to force myself 50% in because of how frustrating characters were. While I don’t hate him, Mercer definitely isn’t my favorite guy. I wasn’t fond of the fact that he was an escort ( only because it’s seem canonically he was one up until the third book) but I managed to get over it enough to keep reading (no disrespect to actual escorts). I still don’t think the fact that he hadn’t done anything sexual with anyone since the time he got frisky with Adeline last book was anything to brag about. 2 weeks isn’t much I digress, but that’s not really the main focus of my issue with his and Adeline’s relationship.
The problem was that it didn’t really feel like a relationship to begin with. In my brain I didn’t see a connection between the two and I think that’s why I was more willing to ignore the fact that he was probably having sex with other people. That and it was a job, and he wasn’t romantically invested in those other people. Which helped, I was just really hoping that the romance between them would really be built up in this book and it was I suppose (at sonic speed). However, the fact that the characters act like there was a romance to start with. I’m sorry but what?
Spoiler: There’s a scene where Adeline says she misses “Mercer” but she really didn’t know much about the man, and I didn’t either so I really can’t fathom what it is she misses. I never really felt like there was a real connection between her and Mercer. And if there was it felt so incredibly forced, like an add on to her love for the other guys.
I will give kudos that Mercer really does seem to care for Adeline (seeing how obsessed he was with her in his POV helped crystallize that) so it’s more like I understand his interest to an extent but I Do NOT understand Adeline’s. Like was there moments they talked behind the scene that I’m unaware about?
Adeline barely knew anything about Mercer, and that becomes even more clear when you read this book and we learn his true name (Jasper which also may not even be his real name now that I’m thinking about it). I’m not really shocked though because to me Adeline was so wishy washy. Initially, I thought she was supposed to be this crazy bad ass, who only had compassion and care for those she loved. At least that’s what I’ve got from the past books but in this one she’s for lack of better words. An idiot. I’m sorry I don’t know how else to say it. It makes no sense for her to show compassion and risk herself for her mom when the women facilitated her being r**** by several grown men as a child.
The cliche I’m a better person than her doesn’t work here. It doesn’t make Adeline seem like a forgiving compassionate person. It makes her an unrealistic hypocritical halfwit because we have seen her spurn child traffickers and predators and mete out punishment to them but she won’t do it to her mother??????? Whose robbed and jumped her and has sought to personally make her life hell???? Also remembering that scene when she got jumped makes me cringe, because wasn’t she supposed to be a badass?? But she just laid down and took it? I brushed it off then but I most certainly won’t now.
I also don’t understand why in every book the other guys except the one the book is named after fade into the background. It wasn’t bad with Cash and Saint this time but I was literally 50 % into the book and Brutal had only spoken like 4 sentences. I get he doesn’t speak much but it was to the point where it felt like he was getting added as an after thought.
Don’t get me wrong Adeline had her funny likable moments, and Jasper was kind of likable? Well actually no, I kind of disliked him the whole book because he was keeping a secret from Adeline and the whole book makes you think it’s the worst possible thing ever. You don’t find out up until the very end and by that point I already had cemented the idea that I didn’t like him. All that time he spent romancing Adeline felt so incredibly insincere to me because I felt like I couldn’t trust him and I really didn’t. The only really solid characters to me in this book were Saint ( loved him), Cash and even Brutal who barely played a part and spoke. Other than that, the main characters of this book Adeline and Jasper( Mercer) were too inconsistent for me and not just because Jasper was someone who lives his life pretending to be different people.
The problem was that it didn’t really feel like a relationship to begin with. In my brain I didn’t see a connection between the two and I think that’s why I was more willing to ignore the fact that he was probably having sex with other people. That and it was a job, and he wasn’t romantically invested in those other people. Which helped, I was just really hoping that the romance between them would really be built up in this book and it was I suppose (at sonic speed). However, the fact that the characters act like there was a romance to start with. I’m sorry but what?
Spoiler: There’s a scene where Adeline says she misses “Mercer” but she really didn’t know much about the man, and I didn’t either so I really can’t fathom what it is she misses. I never really felt like there was a real connection between her and Mercer. And if there was it felt so incredibly forced, like an add on to her love for the other guys.
I will give kudos that Mercer really does seem to care for Adeline (seeing how obsessed he was with her in his POV helped crystallize that) so it’s more like I understand his interest to an extent but I Do NOT understand Adeline’s. Like was there moments they talked behind the scene that I’m unaware about?
Adeline barely knew anything about Mercer, and that becomes even more clear when you read this book and we learn his true name (Jasper which also may not even be his real name now that I’m thinking about it). I’m not really shocked though because to me Adeline was so wishy washy. Initially, I thought she was supposed to be this crazy bad ass, who only had compassion and care for those she loved. At least that’s what I’ve got from the past books but in this one she’s for lack of better words. An idiot. I’m sorry I don’t know how else to say it. It makes no sense for her to show compassion and risk herself for her mom when the women facilitated her being r**** by several grown men as a child.
The cliche I’m a better person than her doesn’t work here. It doesn’t make Adeline seem like a forgiving compassionate person. It makes her an unrealistic hypocritical halfwit because we have seen her spurn child traffickers and predators and mete out punishment to them but she won’t do it to her mother??????? Whose robbed and jumped her and has sought to personally make her life hell???? Also remembering that scene when she got jumped makes me cringe, because wasn’t she supposed to be a badass?? But she just laid down and took it? I brushed it off then but I most certainly won’t now.
I also don’t understand why in every book the other guys except the one the book is named after fade into the background. It wasn’t bad with Cash and Saint this time but I was literally 50 % into the book and Brutal had only spoken like 4 sentences. I get he doesn’t speak much but it was to the point where it felt like he was getting added as an after thought.
Don’t get me wrong Adeline had her funny likable moments, and Jasper was kind of likable? Well actually no, I kind of disliked him the whole book because he was keeping a secret from Adeline and the whole book makes you think it’s the worst possible thing ever. You don’t find out up until the very end and by that point I already had cemented the idea that I didn’t like him. All that time he spent romancing Adeline felt so incredibly insincere to me because I felt like I couldn’t trust him and I really didn’t. The only really solid characters to me in this book were Saint ( loved him), Cash and even Brutal who barely played a part and spoke. Other than that, the main characters of this book Adeline and Jasper( Mercer) were too inconsistent for me and not just because Jasper was someone who lives his life pretending to be different people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2022
wow
What an ending. I can’t say I’m disappointed. It was an amazing ending to a truly rollercoaster of a series.
I loved every second and the characters. Hell even Gianna grew on me.
10000000000000/10 recommend
All the ⭐️’s
Here’s my favorite quotes from this book
Once it’s known Mercer Santos is dead, it won’t be long before—
My phone rang.
“Shit.” ~Mercer aka Jasper
“The ledger ruined three men who were closer than brothers. Cost two their lives and the other everything that mattered to him. We swore we wouldn’t make their mistake, and you fell at the first fucking opportunity.” ~addy
“If you tell me your real name.”
“Jasper,” he replied without slowing. “Jasper Croix.”
“Because you fell in love with Mercer. He made you smile. Held you while you cried. Pulled you back from tipping over the edge. It’s him you want, and as long as I was him, I had you.” ~Jasper
Isn’t that what he’s trying to tell me? Choosing to be with him means starting over.
The man I love is gone.
There is only Jasper.
“I’m not in the ledger,” he repeated.
“My daughter is.” My mind. My breath. My everything stopped.
“The most powerful man in the room is not the king, Hunt. He’s the silent figure in the shadows. The one passed over as a non-threat until the knife is between your ribs.” ~Daddy Redgrave
Love.
Such a strange concept. It was basically favoritism on steroids.
Out of hundreds of thousands of billions of people, places, and things, you must choose one above the rest. One place to make your home. One job to do until you die. One woman to build a life with. ~Jasper
“The longer you’re away from me, the easier it gets to say no. I’m not letting you go, Adeline. I’ll tear through every layer I’ve built. I’ll place you on a throne of my broken lives and worship you till I finally crumble into nothing. I’ll reduce your body into quivering orgasms, round your belly with my babies, and prove love truly is the most destructive force on this planet. But what I will not do is make it easy for you to let me go.” ~Jasper
“The real kind of love that drives murder-suicides, breaks sanity, and writes the tragic love stories we read for centuries to come. You’re the love women lying next to their safe option wish for while he’s clipping his toenails in bed.” ~Gianna
What an ending. I can’t say I’m disappointed. It was an amazing ending to a truly rollercoaster of a series.
I loved every second and the characters. Hell even Gianna grew on me.
10000000000000/10 recommend
All the ⭐️’s
Here’s my favorite quotes from this book
Once it’s known Mercer Santos is dead, it won’t be long before—
My phone rang.
“Shit.” ~Mercer aka Jasper
“The ledger ruined three men who were closer than brothers. Cost two their lives and the other everything that mattered to him. We swore we wouldn’t make their mistake, and you fell at the first fucking opportunity.” ~addy
“If you tell me your real name.”
“Jasper,” he replied without slowing. “Jasper Croix.”
“Because you fell in love with Mercer. He made you smile. Held you while you cried. Pulled you back from tipping over the edge. It’s him you want, and as long as I was him, I had you.” ~Jasper
Isn’t that what he’s trying to tell me? Choosing to be with him means starting over.
The man I love is gone.
There is only Jasper.
“I’m not in the ledger,” he repeated.
“My daughter is.” My mind. My breath. My everything stopped.
“The most powerful man in the room is not the king, Hunt. He’s the silent figure in the shadows. The one passed over as a non-threat until the knife is between your ribs.” ~Daddy Redgrave
Love.
Such a strange concept. It was basically favoritism on steroids.
Out of hundreds of thousands of billions of people, places, and things, you must choose one above the rest. One place to make your home. One job to do until you die. One woman to build a life with. ~Jasper
“The longer you’re away from me, the easier it gets to say no. I’m not letting you go, Adeline. I’ll tear through every layer I’ve built. I’ll place you on a throne of my broken lives and worship you till I finally crumble into nothing. I’ll reduce your body into quivering orgasms, round your belly with my babies, and prove love truly is the most destructive force on this planet. But what I will not do is make it easy for you to let me go.” ~Jasper
“The real kind of love that drives murder-suicides, breaks sanity, and writes the tragic love stories we read for centuries to come. You’re the love women lying next to their safe option wish for while he’s clipping his toenails in bed.” ~Gianna
April 1, 2023
Dnf. I should have just stopped on book 3 since it was just too much...too much of I don't even know. Too much drama?
Addy turns into this stupid doormat. I actually mean stupid. I don't mean it as an insult. How in the world do you take a character and turn all of her awesome traits against her in a split second and make her completely useless?
I don't know how many times a chapter would end with "and then everything went dark" because she was pistol whipped. Everyone was getting whipped.
Another thing that was driving me INSAAAAAAAANE!! Addy says she's on the pill. Mkay? When does she take these pills when she's held captive in the cage again? What about when she's with Gianna? What about when they are fleeing for their lives?
Gianna was a psychopath character and needed to be eliminated. She was not redeemable to me. Addy's dad was a waste of space in these books. He's supposed to be some badass gangster but dude can't even help his daughter out with getting back to his ways when he finds out she's targeted to be killed? No.
Mercer was a weak character and a loose end. And a kid? Really? 🙄
Brutal was okay and meh at the same time.
Cash was inconsistent.
Saint was probably the only character that made sense.
These people are supposed to be running an empire and doing well because of all of these special skills. The only special skills I saw were from Addy and Gianna.
Idk. I feel like I could go on and on but I won't. I'm really disappointed that I kept going.
Addy turns into this stupid doormat. I actually mean stupid. I don't mean it as an insult. How in the world do you take a character and turn all of her awesome traits against her in a split second and make her completely useless?
I don't know how many times a chapter would end with "and then everything went dark" because she was pistol whipped. Everyone was getting whipped.
Another thing that was driving me INSAAAAAAAANE!! Addy says she's on the pill. Mkay? When does she take these pills when she's held captive in the cage again? What about when she's with Gianna? What about when they are fleeing for their lives?
Gianna was a psychopath character and needed to be eliminated. She was not redeemable to me. Addy's dad was a waste of space in these books. He's supposed to be some badass gangster but dude can't even help his daughter out with getting back to his ways when he finds out she's targeted to be killed? No.
Mercer was a weak character and a loose end. And a kid? Really? 🙄
Brutal was okay and meh at the same time.
Cash was inconsistent.
Saint was probably the only character that made sense.
These people are supposed to be running an empire and doing well because of all of these special skills. The only special skills I saw were from Addy and Gianna.
Idk. I feel like I could go on and on but I won't. I'm really disappointed that I kept going.
October 2, 2021
This one was really disappointing and, sadly enough, failed on pretty much every level. The writing, compared to the previous books, was very sloppy. Words were misused or misspelled, commas were missing... It just happened way too often in my opinion. There are editors for a reason.
But it's not just the spelling that bothered me. I felt like the author had no idea what to do with Mercer. All the other guys got their say, their tragic background, their story, so Mercer needed one too. But the idea was too forced, too unoriginal and the way it was executed was riddled with plot holes and it all just made no sense.
Suddenly Mercer, isn't really Mercer. He's a spy in an underground gang, working for another underground gang, posing as a prostitute while actually being the most badass spy there ever was... I felt like the author was trying to do with Mercer, what she had done to Addeline - build up a character that I was intrigued by and then just throwing it all out the window for a 180° turn in the opposite direction. I didn't like it with Addy and I didn't like it with Mercer.
I also felt very letdown by the entire conclusion. It was all not very well thought out, made no sense and, considering all the intended epicness that this series was supposed to have, it just turned out BLAH.
But it's not just the spelling that bothered me. I felt like the author had no idea what to do with Mercer. All the other guys got their say, their tragic background, their story, so Mercer needed one too. But the idea was too forced, too unoriginal and the way it was executed was riddled with plot holes and it all just made no sense.
Suddenly Mercer, isn't really Mercer. He's a spy in an underground gang, working for another underground gang, posing as a prostitute while actually being the most badass spy there ever was... I felt like the author was trying to do with Mercer, what she had done to Addeline - build up a character that I was intrigued by and then just throwing it all out the window for a 180° turn in the opposite direction. I didn't like it with Addy and I didn't like it with Mercer.
I also felt very letdown by the entire conclusion. It was all not very well thought out, made no sense and, considering all the intended epicness that this series was supposed to have, it just turned out BLAH.
November 30, 2021
Not a fan of how this series ended. Well, I suppose the ending was fine, did seem very rushed. Mercer is my least favorite guy out of the bunch. He is a liar! And I know it seemed hypocritical to judge him after the fact our FMC is a liar and Brutal kinda lied too, but Mercer/Jasper lied so many times.
By the end of this book, I can't trust him anymore. I wouldn't know what to do in that situation if I was the MC, but they described it like he woke from a coma and they don't know each other anymore. Even in the last action scenes, she said she had doubts about him. I was not a fan at all. Like she said, the man she loved is gone! He lied right down to his eye/hair color, about his hobbies, and sense of humor. I don't think their relationship should have recovered as quickly as in this book. Sure, he loves her, but her personality is the same.
I overall, really enjoyed this series. Full of action and secret motives. But I think with each book that past by the more I wasn't vibing. It started to lose that potential. In some ways, I liked how each guy had their own book, but in other ways it just felt too...not sure if disconnected is the right word. I suppose I just wanted more of the guys together rather than dealing with everything by themselves or with our MC.
By the end of this book, I can't trust him anymore. I wouldn't know what to do in that situation if I was the MC, but they described it like he woke from a coma and they don't know each other anymore. Even in the last action scenes, she said she had doubts about him. I was not a fan at all. Like she said, the man she loved is gone! He lied right down to his eye/hair color, about his hobbies, and sense of humor. I don't think their relationship should have recovered as quickly as in this book. Sure, he loves her, but her personality is the same.
I overall, really enjoyed this series. Full of action and secret motives. But I think with each book that past by the more I wasn't vibing. It started to lose that potential. In some ways, I liked how each guy had their own book, but in other ways it just felt too...not sure if disconnected is the right word. I suppose I just wanted more of the guys together rather than dealing with everything by themselves or with our MC.
July 6, 2021
I loved Jasper more than Mercer. I actually wasn’t looking forward to his story, especially since I couldn’t really connect to Brutal/Baris, but this book managed to change my mind.
Yes, the plot was a little more predictable than the first three books. And I was still annoyed as hell with Adeline who had her TSTL moment when running to rescue Jocelyn. And I still haven’t forgiven Gianna. And I still think the villains all died too quickly. And the ending was a bit too sweet for me, even though I get that it’s paving the path for the „next generation“ books.
But the story was fast paced, and especially Jasper kept me turning page after page. I just love how the loose ends were tied up, going back to the very start of the first book, so is still a solid 4 star rating.
Would I recommend the series? Definitely yes!
Yes, the plot was a little more predictable than the first three books. And I was still annoyed as hell with Adeline who had her TSTL moment when running to rescue Jocelyn. And I still haven’t forgiven Gianna. And I still think the villains all died too quickly. And the ending was a bit too sweet for me, even though I get that it’s paving the path for the „next generation“ books.
But the story was fast paced, and especially Jasper kept me turning page after page. I just love how the loose ends were tied up, going back to the very start of the first book, so is still a solid 4 star rating.
Would I recommend the series? Definitely yes!
October 4, 2025
I forced myself to finish these books because I hate to NOT finish a book or series. The worst part about this for me is that the overall storyline isn’t bad - if someone summarized to me what each of these books was about, I’d be intrigued and genuinely want to hear the story. Unfortunately, the way the writing plays out is not good.
- By the end, I didn’t feel like I understood any of the relationships between the guys and Addie. Each book mostly focuses on one guy and his relationship with her, so you never get a good sense of how they all work together.
- There is so much nonsense between Addie and Gianna, and the betrayal between all the characters is so over the top. Forgiveness comes too easily, love comes too easily, trust is too spontaneous after all the betrayal. A little bit of that could be intriguing but there’s so much that you no longer know if it’s worth knowing if another shoe is going to drop.
- I have read dozens of reverse harem series and this was easily the oddest one, where the FMC is never with more than one guy at a time (it gets suggested but never happens) and the group dynamic is so flat. Not only that, but you never get a sense that they’re truly all willing to share her and enjoy all being with the same girl. It’s almost like apathy - even when she’s trying to sort out the jacked up relationship with Mercer / Jasper at the end. They’re supposed to be this close group of guys in a brotherhood who have been through all these things together, and falling for the same woman should either bring some animosity / jealousy, or it should make them recognize they all want to be forever connected together. Instead, it’s like they each have a MF relationship and he just happens to have 4 of them.
- The spice is also weird. Like yes, there is spice. And there are a couple of times in this whole series where the description is fun and engaging. The rest of the time it feels flat - lacking desire or depth or feeling or even fun. Again, not like literally any other RH I’ve read where you at least get either the combined love and respect for the FMC, or the angsty battle between the guys for her time and heart. Here she bed hops and sexual acts take place in front of others but it’s not even acknowledged. Just feels flat even in the desire department.
- Mercer’s story was just… confusing. He completely changes to remove this act he’s been playing, it’s unclear exactly why the chain of events even happened as they did between the real Mercer’s death and Saint’s mom playing a role. And the continued lies get forgiven so easily… not by the guys initially I guess, but apparently in the meantime by the epilogue.
- Sometimes it’s hard to know who’s speaking, and there is a lot of speaking. Not enough scene setting. Not enough understanding of emotions or real feelings. Everything is based on conversation and surface level. I think the writing style is not only hard to follow, but not very effective at telling the story for the audience to feel the connections.
- We just ignore the fact that she was sexually assaulted by Katz at the end, and that she had been traumatized when younger and had flashbacks before but that the trauma at the end was resolved so quickly? This only supported the lack of depth with Addie’s character.
- Ummm, what is up with Oscar? He is Addie’s main family and taught her all the things to protect herself and rule the city. But he let her mother’s loathsome sins go unpunished and continued to let her mom terrorize Addie in adulthood? And then, when stuff gets real at the end, he barely has a role at all? And then he’s not even in the epilogue?? Some very odd choices with that character arc for sure.
Overall, I feel like there was a great story idea that completely failed in being told in a way that was emotionally moving or dramatically engaging or even kept you wanting more. I have no idea why these books have good average ratings on Goodreads. There were holes in the plot, lack of emotional depth, and weird handling of a complex RH relationship (that ends up a year later with marriage and a baby even). I’m so happy to move on from this series.
- By the end, I didn’t feel like I understood any of the relationships between the guys and Addie. Each book mostly focuses on one guy and his relationship with her, so you never get a good sense of how they all work together.
- There is so much nonsense between Addie and Gianna, and the betrayal between all the characters is so over the top. Forgiveness comes too easily, love comes too easily, trust is too spontaneous after all the betrayal. A little bit of that could be intriguing but there’s so much that you no longer know if it’s worth knowing if another shoe is going to drop.
- I have read dozens of reverse harem series and this was easily the oddest one, where the FMC is never with more than one guy at a time (it gets suggested but never happens) and the group dynamic is so flat. Not only that, but you never get a sense that they’re truly all willing to share her and enjoy all being with the same girl. It’s almost like apathy - even when she’s trying to sort out the jacked up relationship with Mercer / Jasper at the end. They’re supposed to be this close group of guys in a brotherhood who have been through all these things together, and falling for the same woman should either bring some animosity / jealousy, or it should make them recognize they all want to be forever connected together. Instead, it’s like they each have a MF relationship and he just happens to have 4 of them.
- The spice is also weird. Like yes, there is spice. And there are a couple of times in this whole series where the description is fun and engaging. The rest of the time it feels flat - lacking desire or depth or feeling or even fun. Again, not like literally any other RH I’ve read where you at least get either the combined love and respect for the FMC, or the angsty battle between the guys for her time and heart. Here she bed hops and sexual acts take place in front of others but it’s not even acknowledged. Just feels flat even in the desire department.
- Mercer’s story was just… confusing. He completely changes to remove this act he’s been playing, it’s unclear exactly why the chain of events even happened as they did between the real Mercer’s death and Saint’s mom playing a role. And the continued lies get forgiven so easily… not by the guys initially I guess, but apparently in the meantime by the epilogue.
- Sometimes it’s hard to know who’s speaking, and there is a lot of speaking. Not enough scene setting. Not enough understanding of emotions or real feelings. Everything is based on conversation and surface level. I think the writing style is not only hard to follow, but not very effective at telling the story for the audience to feel the connections.
- We just ignore the fact that she was sexually assaulted by Katz at the end, and that she had been traumatized when younger and had flashbacks before but that the trauma at the end was resolved so quickly? This only supported the lack of depth with Addie’s character.
- Ummm, what is up with Oscar? He is Addie’s main family and taught her all the things to protect herself and rule the city. But he let her mother’s loathsome sins go unpunished and continued to let her mom terrorize Addie in adulthood? And then, when stuff gets real at the end, he barely has a role at all? And then he’s not even in the epilogue?? Some very odd choices with that character arc for sure.
Overall, I feel like there was a great story idea that completely failed in being told in a way that was emotionally moving or dramatically engaging or even kept you wanting more. I have no idea why these books have good average ratings on Goodreads. There were holes in the plot, lack of emotional depth, and weird handling of a complex RH relationship (that ends up a year later with marriage and a baby even). I’m so happy to move on from this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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