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Pack Saint Clair #2
Lavender and Lightning
There’s nowhere left to hide.
Lydia Anderson is an unbonded omega living in fear of the day her past catches up with her. Hunted by her ex, betrayed by her own family, staying out of sight is her only protection. Or it was, until she met Pack Saint Clair, and found love and safety in their arms.
Her new pack’s status as a powerhouse of the business world makes it impossible for them to live truly private lives. Their influence can protect Lydia from those set on hurting her, or so they hope.
But their past may prove to be just as dangerous.
The pack have been fighting their own battle to break free of Seth Douglas, an omega who will stop at nothing to maintain his sadistic control over them. Jealous and bitter, Seth will do whatever it takes to get rid of Lydia, even if that means leading her abusers to her front door.
When her past finds her, Lydia must decide what price she’s willing to pay for love… and hope that price isn’t her life.
Lydia Anderson is an unbonded omega living in fear of the day her past catches up with her. Hunted by her ex, betrayed by her own family, staying out of sight is her only protection. Or it was, until she met Pack Saint Clair, and found love and safety in their arms.
Her new pack’s status as a powerhouse of the business world makes it impossible for them to live truly private lives. Their influence can protect Lydia from those set on hurting her, or so they hope.
But their past may prove to be just as dangerous.
The pack have been fighting their own battle to break free of Seth Douglas, an omega who will stop at nothing to maintain his sadistic control over them. Jealous and bitter, Seth will do whatever it takes to get rid of Lydia, even if that means leading her abusers to her front door.
When her past finds her, Lydia must decide what price she’s willing to pay for love… and hope that price isn’t her life.
430 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 23, 2022
699 people are currently reading
1282 people want to read
About the author
Thora Woods
12 books461 followersThora has been a lifelong dreamer and creator of stories. From acting out elaborate and daring rescues with her dolls as a child, to putting pen to paper and fingers to keys as an adult, she has honed her voice and craft through years of work and practice.
A romantic at heart, Thora fell in love with the romance genre through books like Lola and the Millionaires, The Devil's Syndicate series, and many more. Now she has taken the first steps toward sharing the stories in her heart with the world.
A romantic at heart, Thora fell in love with the romance genre through books like Lola and the Millionaires, The Devil's Syndicate series, and many more. Now she has taken the first steps toward sharing the stories in her heart with the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 406 reviews
June 25, 2024
✅ Characters
✅ More backstory
✅ Healing journey
✅ Expansion of the reverse harem and smut
✅ Sweet romance
✅ Pace
✅(🆗) Plot
🆗 Annoying decisions
❗️❗️Cliffhanger
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: mentions of past physical and sexual abuse, manipulation, stalking, threats, BDSM, stabbing, nightmares and mild PTSD
3.5 stars
This book picks up after Lydia’s car accident, and while she is trying to heal and not go crazy because she is cooped up and being checked by her alphas every minute of every hour, Seth and Darren are still making her life a nightmare. With her brother’s wedding coming fast, Lydia and pack Saint Clair need to find a foolproof plan for her to get there and be able to come back without her family interfering, or her father taking control over her movements as is his right as her family’s prime alpha.
Lydia’s relationships with the pack members grow stronger in this book, especially when it comes to Lex and Lucas, but the pack as a whole also grows stronger and closer. I loved the relationship development in this sequel, but the decisions the characters made annoyed me. First of all, the fact that Lydia decided to attend the wedding with her abusive ex and manipulative family even though she was not officially a member of the pack was a huge risk, so it was not surprising when it all went to hell. I’m all for letting her make her decisions, but if she had taken the time to talk to Jason, her mother’s threat would have been null and void, and there would have been no need to attend the wedding.
Secondly, Rhett had one job: follow Lydia everywhere. She went to the bathroom, and he followed her, only to take a phone call and move to another room because he couldn’t hear what Lex was saying.
I mean, seriously?! Dude! You. Had. One. Job.
What is even more frustrating, is that if Rhett didn’t fuck up, there would be no need for a third book, so it feels like this very much out-of-character mistake he made was added just to justify the ensuing drama and turn of shitty events.
If the first book was Rhett’s time to shine, Lucas stole the show in this sequel. While Rhett is overprotective of Lydia because he feels guilty since he’s the one who let her drive to her apartment, leading to the car accident, Lex is hiding things from the pack, and Mateo is trying to balance everything but still smothers Lydia at times. Lucas is the only one keeping his head clear and willing to tell the alphas that they are being jerks, pushing Lydia away with their overprotectiveness and refusal to let her go back to her “normal life”. Lucas is also a brat in the best way. He loves to make trouble and stir shit, but everyone loves him for it and his sassy attitude.
We learned more about Lex in this sequel, but she remains a mysterious character at times. While we discovered more about her past and the secrets she kept from her pack, I feel that she still has an aura of secrets around her, and even though she promised not to keep anything from her pack again, it’s clear she would be willing to lie and take the fall for them anytime.
I would have still liked it for Mateo to be more present in this book. At times he felt almost like an afterthought. Rhett was present enough, but he was overbearing and overprotective, and I am glad that Lucas and Lydia didn’t hesitate to let him know he was being too intense before he pushed things too far.
There is some tension and angst in this book, as the members of the Saint Clair pack discover some secrets Lex kept from them, and Lydia has to put her foot down before she gets smothered by them, but I like the fact that the author didn’t pointlessly prolong the fights/angsty moments between them all. There is no miscommunication trope either, simply them saying what they have to say, and keeping their distance for a while to let everyone think about it and let the tensions go down. It was a mature way to handle it, and I appreciated that, especially considering the characters’ age.
I am not sure that there is a real need for this series to be 3 books long. I feel that things could have all been resolved in this sequel if the characters had a little more drive and took action instead of waiting, and maybe with 100 extra pages. I will still read the final book for sure, but I am afraid that it will only be the same plot that drags on from the first book for another 500 pages.
1. Lilacs and Leather ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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✅ More backstory
✅ Healing journey
✅ Expansion of the reverse harem and smut
✅ Sweet romance
✅ Pace
✅(🆗) Plot
🆗 Annoying decisions
❗️❗️Cliffhanger
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: mentions of past physical and sexual abuse, manipulation, stalking, threats, BDSM, stabbing, nightmares and mild PTSD
3.5 stars
This book picks up after Lydia’s car accident, and while she is trying to heal and not go crazy because she is cooped up and being checked by her alphas every minute of every hour, Seth and Darren are still making her life a nightmare. With her brother’s wedding coming fast, Lydia and pack Saint Clair need to find a foolproof plan for her to get there and be able to come back without her family interfering, or her father taking control over her movements as is his right as her family’s prime alpha.
Lydia’s relationships with the pack members grow stronger in this book, especially when it comes to Lex and Lucas, but the pack as a whole also grows stronger and closer. I loved the relationship development in this sequel, but the decisions the characters made annoyed me. First of all, the fact that Lydia decided to attend the wedding with her abusive ex and manipulative family even though she was not officially a member of the pack was a huge risk, so it was not surprising when it all went to hell. I’m all for letting her make her decisions, but if she had taken the time to talk to Jason, her mother’s threat would have been null and void, and there would have been no need to attend the wedding.
Secondly, Rhett had one job: follow Lydia everywhere. She went to the bathroom, and he followed her, only to take a phone call and move to another room because he couldn’t hear what Lex was saying.
I mean, seriously?! Dude! You. Had. One. Job.
What is even more frustrating, is that if Rhett didn’t fuck up, there would be no need for a third book, so it feels like this very much out-of-character mistake he made was added just to justify the ensuing drama and turn of shitty events.
If the first book was Rhett’s time to shine, Lucas stole the show in this sequel. While Rhett is overprotective of Lydia because he feels guilty since he’s the one who let her drive to her apartment, leading to the car accident, Lex is hiding things from the pack, and Mateo is trying to balance everything but still smothers Lydia at times. Lucas is the only one keeping his head clear and willing to tell the alphas that they are being jerks, pushing Lydia away with their overprotectiveness and refusal to let her go back to her “normal life”. Lucas is also a brat in the best way. He loves to make trouble and stir shit, but everyone loves him for it and his sassy attitude.
We learned more about Lex in this sequel, but she remains a mysterious character at times. While we discovered more about her past and the secrets she kept from her pack, I feel that she still has an aura of secrets around her, and even though she promised not to keep anything from her pack again, it’s clear she would be willing to lie and take the fall for them anytime.
I would have still liked it for Mateo to be more present in this book. At times he felt almost like an afterthought. Rhett was present enough, but he was overbearing and overprotective, and I am glad that Lucas and Lydia didn’t hesitate to let him know he was being too intense before he pushed things too far.
There is some tension and angst in this book, as the members of the Saint Clair pack discover some secrets Lex kept from them, and Lydia has to put her foot down before she gets smothered by them, but I like the fact that the author didn’t pointlessly prolong the fights/angsty moments between them all. There is no miscommunication trope either, simply them saying what they have to say, and keeping their distance for a while to let everyone think about it and let the tensions go down. It was a mature way to handle it, and I appreciated that, especially considering the characters’ age.
I am not sure that there is a real need for this series to be 3 books long. I feel that things could have all been resolved in this sequel if the characters had a little more drive and took action instead of waiting, and maybe with 100 extra pages. I will still read the final book for sure, but I am afraid that it will only be the same plot that drags on from the first book for another 500 pages.
1. Lilacs and Leather ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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April 24, 2022
Missed the mark with this one.
This was a trial to get through. I didnt like Lydia in this book at all, every page she was crying over anything it was hard to find any sympathy for her as she needed a backbone. I also didnt like how she was able to fracture the pack so much when Lex and Rhett were supposed to have a bond with Lucas, they treated him like a 2nd thought. Mateo became an after thought as well and his personality didnt come through at all and just seemed to be a chapter filler.
This was a trial to get through. I didnt like Lydia in this book at all, every page she was crying over anything it was hard to find any sympathy for her as she needed a backbone. I also didnt like how she was able to fracture the pack so much when Lex and Rhett were supposed to have a bond with Lucas, they treated him like a 2nd thought. Mateo became an after thought as well and his personality didnt come through at all and just seemed to be a chapter filler.
April 23, 2022
“It was like I was looking for you before I even knew you existed.”
I can finally gush about this book, finally!!! I read this months ago while beta reading and I’m still thinking about it on a daily basis. Lucas and Lex own my soul.
Lucas became my absolute favorite in this book. He’s such a brat, and the only one in the pack with a working brain cell. I swear they are still alive all thanks to him lol He’s the glue and I always fancy that kind of character. His scenes with Lydia were amazing, especially when he persuaed her to yell at Rhett to fuck off lmao he’s such a little shit stirrer, and I’m here for all of it!!!
His sex scenes are the most interesting, too. Little brat loves to be humiliated and punished. And Rhett and Lex provide these and more to him. Which leads to Lex, my other favorite of the book.
I’m so glad we got to know more about Lex, her backstory with her father and with her ex-Omega. And finally get to see her in an intimate scene. Her love declaration to Lydia is one of my absolute favorite lines in the whole series. I’m so glad we are getting some ff love in the RH OV genre, it was greatly needed!! And her sex scene with Lucas will forever live rent free on my mind, ngl.
Lydia had poignant moments with Rhett and Mateo, but the focus of this book was with the other members of the pack and how their relationship grew and strengthened together. Overall, the pack grows closer and they overcome a lot of problems together. We also get to see more of Lydia’s brother, he’s such an interesting character and I’m hoping we get more in the last book.
The cliffhanger is insane and so, so good. I can’t wait to find out what happens next!
I can finally gush about this book, finally!!! I read this months ago while beta reading and I’m still thinking about it on a daily basis. Lucas and Lex own my soul.
Lucas became my absolute favorite in this book. He’s such a brat, and the only one in the pack with a working brain cell. I swear they are still alive all thanks to him lol He’s the glue and I always fancy that kind of character. His scenes with Lydia were amazing, especially when he persuaed her to yell at Rhett to fuck off lmao he’s such a little shit stirrer, and I’m here for all of it!!!
His sex scenes are the most interesting, too. Little brat loves to be humiliated and punished. And Rhett and Lex provide these and more to him. Which leads to Lex, my other favorite of the book.
I’m so glad we got to know more about Lex, her backstory with her father and with her ex-Omega. And finally get to see her in an intimate scene. Her love declaration to Lydia is one of my absolute favorite lines in the whole series. I’m so glad we are getting some ff love in the RH OV genre, it was greatly needed!! And her sex scene with Lucas will forever live rent free on my mind, ngl.
Lydia had poignant moments with Rhett and Mateo, but the focus of this book was with the other members of the pack and how their relationship grew and strengthened together. Overall, the pack grows closer and they overcome a lot of problems together. We also get to see more of Lydia’s brother, he’s such an interesting character and I’m hoping we get more in the last book.
The cliffhanger is insane and so, so good. I can’t wait to find out what happens next!
April 21, 2022
3.5 stars for this arc read
My biggest pet peeves with books at the moment is when they are too long or drawn out. And unless I’m gonna be proven wrong, I didn’t think this needed to be longer than a duology.
As someone that hasn’t read a ton of Omegaverse I’ve read either excellent or very poor and Thora definitely belongs in the good category. The first book hooked me in with the characters interesting backstory and kinky relationships. As I didn’t realise this was longer than two books I was expecting way more action and then conclusion to this story. so in that regards it felt a bit slow to me and slightly frustrating to have some plot points that didn’t feel necessary, created to keep it going.
That being said, there is one more book to go and I could completely eat my words
If you are looking for a sweet Omegaverse story to try out I still recommend this as Thora has a nice writing style and the characters are lovable.
My biggest pet peeves with books at the moment is when they are too long or drawn out. And unless I’m gonna be proven wrong, I didn’t think this needed to be longer than a duology.
As someone that hasn’t read a ton of Omegaverse I’ve read either excellent or very poor and Thora definitely belongs in the good category. The first book hooked me in with the characters interesting backstory and kinky relationships. As I didn’t realise this was longer than two books I was expecting way more action and then conclusion to this story. so in that regards it felt a bit slow to me and slightly frustrating to have some plot points that didn’t feel necessary, created to keep it going.
That being said, there is one more book to go and I could completely eat my words
If you are looking for a sweet Omegaverse story to try out I still recommend this as Thora has a nice writing style and the characters are lovable.
April 24, 2022
I’m disappointed that this one didn’t work for me as much as the first book. I can’t precisely put my finger on why, but here’s the best way I can explain it:
You know between 2009-2015 when all the big movie franchises decided to split their last movies regardless of if the plot really warranted it? That’s how this felt. It felt like there was set up for a climactic ending of the two main dangers, not too much character growth, and a lot of filler to make this half of the ending into a whole book. I still enjoyed it (hence 3 stars), but it was missing some of the heart and pacing which kept me enraptured in the first book.
Somehow, with all this additional space, I really felt let down by how Lydia’s relationship with Lex was established and grew. I know we will see more in the future, but it really felt like all of a sudden they were together, when I loved where I thought their slow burn had been heading in book 1.
It could be because I had been expecting this to be a duology and now it’s a trilogy, but I could really feel that change here. Still, I’m excited to know how this concludes in the final book this fall!
You know between 2009-2015 when all the big movie franchises decided to split their last movies regardless of if the plot really warranted it? That’s how this felt. It felt like there was set up for a climactic ending of the two main dangers, not too much character growth, and a lot of filler to make this half of the ending into a whole book. I still enjoyed it (hence 3 stars), but it was missing some of the heart and pacing which kept me enraptured in the first book.
Somehow, with all this additional space, I really felt let down by how Lydia’s relationship with Lex was established and grew. I know we will see more in the future, but it really felt like all of a sudden they were together, when I loved where I thought their slow burn had been heading in book 1.
It could be because I had been expecting this to be a duology and now it’s a trilogy, but I could really feel that change here. Still, I’m excited to know how this concludes in the final book this fall!
May 13, 2022
Gotta say, I don’t understand why this series needed to be 3 books. MAYBE 2, but definitely not 3.
This book was a mess. The entire plot was: conflict - sex - another conflict - sex - yet another conflict - sex. And apparently zero communication too. I swear Lydia and Rhett had the same conversation at least 3 different times where Lydia wanted her freedom and it was really hard for Rhett to agree to work on his issues and let her be independent but he agreed…and then they’d do it all over again a few chapters later? Nothing happened in this book. And for some reason, we’ve completely switched antagonists too. Sure Darren was mentioned as a past bad guy in the first book, but Seth was the main bad guy? And he doesn’t make any appearance at all in this book…and instead we get Darren as the main bad guy - but only for the last 5 or so chapters.
And then out of nowhere there’s a massive fight between all members of the “pack” and Lydia actually says she’s done with the pack and leaves (I’ve read enough ABO now to understand this is the classic “come to Jesus” moment where the omega puts their foot down and gives the pack an ultimatum…and the pack is supposed to realize their mistakes and do some serious groveling so the omega can forgive them all and we get an HEA) only…there’s no groveling??? Only one of the pack members actually puts an effort into following Lydia…and he doesn’t do any groveling? Lydia instantly forgives him. And then SHE has to go to the other pack members and do the work of pulling their heads out of their asses so she can instantly forgive them too? I couldn’t believe it.
I also was floored that the entire pack just fell apart when Lydia “left”? They were a pack before her…actually have bond marks…and suddenly those don’t matter at all and THE WORLD IS ENDING.
(Slight side note here to mention that there are a few main conflicts here that seem to completely “forget” that the pack is rich? Take Lex for example…Seth has been blackmailing her for years because she fudged some dates to get a grant (which I understand is actually a big deal in the grant world)…but the pack would have no problem paying that money back and I don’t see why Lex’s father wouldn’t do some back-door deal to get her out of any jail time because that’s just the kind of person he is…so they’d have a minor fallout reputation-wise but could definitely build trust again? And then the ending…Lydia is completely distraught over Rhett being arrested and doesn’t stop a minute to realize he’s done nothing wrong (the fight was self-defense and there a witness on his side), it’s just her family posturing, and Rhett is rich? So he can get his personal lawyer flown out and get everything resolved pretty easily?)
(And one more side note to mention Lydia refuses to see that she’s actually in danger because she will not give up her “independence”? She was intentionally hit by a truck and she has a meltdown because the pack thinks it isn’t safe for her to go to work alone? She hates that she’s being kept in the dark about goings-on with Seth but does the exact same thing to her brother? She knows there will be major conflict from her family and Darren if she goes to the wedding but she’ll get super mad when the pack thinks that maybe it’d be safer not to go? Just incredibly immature and selfish and hypocritical)
Also zero clue how that ending is plausible at all…they leave the wedding and go to their private plane in an airport hangar and “a small army of police squad cars” surround the plane with “even more outside the hangar door” (direct quote)? Just wondering why in the world there would ever be that many cop cars for a person who wasn’t armed, didn’t murder several people/cops, and/or didn’t take any hostages. Doesn’t make sense. And since the cops weren’t following directly behind them (no cop chase I’m afraid), how were they able to find them so quickly? No one knew Lydia was actually coming (her mom had threatened but Lydia never confirmed she would come to the wedding)…the only person to see her before the wedding was Darren’s mom and she saw them in town driving a car…so no indication that they’d driven that car from the airport and not from wherever they’re currently living…How did the cops know they flew in? And how did they know they had a private plane and didn’t fly commercial? AND why would the entire police force been summoned? (Slow day?)
This book was a mess. The entire plot was: conflict - sex - another conflict - sex - yet another conflict - sex. And apparently zero communication too. I swear Lydia and Rhett had the same conversation at least 3 different times where Lydia wanted her freedom and it was really hard for Rhett to agree to work on his issues and let her be independent but he agreed…and then they’d do it all over again a few chapters later? Nothing happened in this book. And for some reason, we’ve completely switched antagonists too. Sure Darren was mentioned as a past bad guy in the first book, but Seth was the main bad guy? And he doesn’t make any appearance at all in this book…and instead we get Darren as the main bad guy - but only for the last 5 or so chapters.
And then out of nowhere there’s a massive fight between all members of the “pack” and Lydia actually says she’s done with the pack and leaves (I’ve read enough ABO now to understand this is the classic “come to Jesus” moment where the omega puts their foot down and gives the pack an ultimatum…and the pack is supposed to realize their mistakes and do some serious groveling so the omega can forgive them all and we get an HEA) only…there’s no groveling??? Only one of the pack members actually puts an effort into following Lydia…and he doesn’t do any groveling? Lydia instantly forgives him. And then SHE has to go to the other pack members and do the work of pulling their heads out of their asses so she can instantly forgive them too? I couldn’t believe it.
I also was floored that the entire pack just fell apart when Lydia “left”? They were a pack before her…actually have bond marks…and suddenly those don’t matter at all and THE WORLD IS ENDING.
(Slight side note here to mention that there are a few main conflicts here that seem to completely “forget” that the pack is rich? Take Lex for example…Seth has been blackmailing her for years because she fudged some dates to get a grant (which I understand is actually a big deal in the grant world)…but the pack would have no problem paying that money back and I don’t see why Lex’s father wouldn’t do some back-door deal to get her out of any jail time because that’s just the kind of person he is…so they’d have a minor fallout reputation-wise but could definitely build trust again? And then the ending…Lydia is completely distraught over Rhett being arrested and doesn’t stop a minute to realize he’s done nothing wrong (the fight was self-defense and there a witness on his side), it’s just her family posturing, and Rhett is rich? So he can get his personal lawyer flown out and get everything resolved pretty easily?)
(And one more side note to mention Lydia refuses to see that she’s actually in danger because she will not give up her “independence”? She was intentionally hit by a truck and she has a meltdown because the pack thinks it isn’t safe for her to go to work alone? She hates that she’s being kept in the dark about goings-on with Seth but does the exact same thing to her brother? She knows there will be major conflict from her family and Darren if she goes to the wedding but she’ll get super mad when the pack thinks that maybe it’d be safer not to go? Just incredibly immature and selfish and hypocritical)
Also zero clue how that ending is plausible at all…they leave the wedding and go to their private plane in an airport hangar and “a small army of police squad cars” surround the plane with “even more outside the hangar door” (direct quote)? Just wondering why in the world there would ever be that many cop cars for a person who wasn’t armed, didn’t murder several people/cops, and/or didn’t take any hostages. Doesn’t make sense. And since the cops weren’t following directly behind them (no cop chase I’m afraid), how were they able to find them so quickly? No one knew Lydia was actually coming (her mom had threatened but Lydia never confirmed she would come to the wedding)…the only person to see her before the wedding was Darren’s mom and she saw them in town driving a car…so no indication that they’d driven that car from the airport and not from wherever they’re currently living…How did the cops know they flew in? And how did they know they had a private plane and didn’t fly commercial? AND why would the entire police force been summoned? (Slow day?)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2024
So guess what, Lydia attending a wedding where her crazy, abusive stalker ex is the best man actually ended badly -- imagine that.
The moral of the story is that dumb decisions, while made for what you think is a noble cause, will always still be dumb-ass decisions.
The moral of the story is that dumb decisions, while made for what you think is a noble cause, will always still be dumb-ass decisions.
November 14, 2022
BASIC FACTS:
Pages: 430
My rating: 2.5
Genre: Omegaverse
Themes: Love, Pack, Bad Past which makes life miserable now, Trigger warning: BDSM, rape
Protagonist Ages:
Pacing: slow plot line, slow to medium Romance
Plot Rating: 3
I started this book right after finishing book 1. But I was tired and needed something to get my brain going. But it started out a little slow for my mood. But it is an okay book for me. I will read the conclusion when it comes out. I still have the same hung up like in the first book. I didn’t like their Dom/Sub games even though the participants were consenting and willing. They were working with safe words. It’s just what I like (no judgement here).
The Characters: Names and descriptions of the persons
Summery: detailed, lot’s of spoiler
Pages: 430
My rating: 2.5
Genre: Omegaverse
Themes: Love, Pack, Bad Past which makes life miserable now, Trigger warning: BDSM, rape
Protagonist Ages:
Pacing: slow plot line, slow to medium Romance
Plot Rating: 3
I started this book right after finishing book 1. But I was tired and needed something to get my brain going. But it started out a little slow for my mood. But it is an okay book for me. I will read the conclusion when it comes out. I still have the same hung up like in the first book. I didn’t like their Dom/Sub games even though the participants were consenting and willing. They were working with safe words. It’s just what I like (no judgement here).
The Characters: Names and descriptions of the persons
Summery: detailed, lot’s of spoiler
April 26, 2022
3.5 stars
I was so looking forward to this book after loving book 1. I felt underwhelmed after finishing, mainly due to the pacing issues. There is a lot of filler in this book, especially in comparison to book 1. The FMC also has a shift in her characterization, often acting selfish or manipulative in the relationship dynamic. This could have been a duology instead of a trilogy. Also hated the cliffhanger ending. Will probably read book 3, mostly to see if Lex and Lydia ever develop their relationship.
I was so looking forward to this book after loving book 1. I felt underwhelmed after finishing, mainly due to the pacing issues. There is a lot of filler in this book, especially in comparison to book 1. The FMC also has a shift in her characterization, often acting selfish or manipulative in the relationship dynamic. This could have been a duology instead of a trilogy. Also hated the cliffhanger ending. Will probably read book 3, mostly to see if Lex and Lydia ever develop their relationship.
April 30, 2024
To summarize this book in one word: yawn.
Did not like Lydia one bit. Her choices and stupidity made me want to put my head through a wall and just tainted the whole book (and the remainder of the series).
COMMUNICATION IS KEY, GIRLY. TO YOUR LOVE INTERESTS AND YOUR LOVED ONES. ALSO, USE YOUR BRAIN.
Did not like Lydia one bit. Her choices and stupidity made me want to put my head through a wall and just tainted the whole book (and the remainder of the series).
COMMUNICATION IS KEY, GIRLY. TO YOUR LOVE INTERESTS AND YOUR LOVED ONES. ALSO, USE YOUR BRAIN.
October 27, 2024
they argue and then have sex to resolve it??? hello???? communication is right there babes
February 28, 2025
things just kept happening for the sake of it,when u thought nothing could get worst it would get worst.
the fmc was so dumb in this ,her IQ droped so low from the last book,she would make the worst choises imaginable at every turn🤦🏻♀️
the fmc was so dumb in this ,her IQ droped so low from the last book,she would make the worst choises imaginable at every turn🤦🏻♀️
April 30, 2022
Enjoyed this but I was definitely frustrated by some plot points and I'm also not sure this needed to be a series that's longer than two books.
April 24, 2022
I read Lilacs And Leather at the beginning of the year and it was definitely one of my favourite reads of the year so far. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of book two, Lavender And Lightning and It definitely lived up to book one!
I adore Lydia and her whole pack. I love their dynamics and how realistic all of their relationships feel. The characters are flawed and make mistakes but that’s definitely why they were so great to read about. I also just loved getting more of Lex and Lydia’s relationship in this one. I just love Lex as a character in general.
I really liked the fast pace of this book as well. I was definitely on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next and I wasn’t disappointed! This was such a wild ride compared to book one.
This book is Omegaverse but I really enjoy the fact that it takes a slight back seat in this one. Yes it’s an Omegaverse story but that fact doesn’t overwhelm the characters or what’s happening on page all of the time. And I was definitely able to enjoy the characters and plot more because of that. I also just love Thora Woods writing so much.
I definitely loved this book just as much as book one. It was such a great continuation of the story and after that cliffhanger I’m dying for book three now 😭
Lavender And Lightening comes out on April 23rd. The first book Lilacs And Leather is available on KU!
I adore Lydia and her whole pack. I love their dynamics and how realistic all of their relationships feel. The characters are flawed and make mistakes but that’s definitely why they were so great to read about. I also just loved getting more of Lex and Lydia’s relationship in this one. I just love Lex as a character in general.
I really liked the fast pace of this book as well. I was definitely on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next and I wasn’t disappointed! This was such a wild ride compared to book one.
This book is Omegaverse but I really enjoy the fact that it takes a slight back seat in this one. Yes it’s an Omegaverse story but that fact doesn’t overwhelm the characters or what’s happening on page all of the time. And I was definitely able to enjoy the characters and plot more because of that. I also just love Thora Woods writing so much.
I definitely loved this book just as much as book one. It was such a great continuation of the story and after that cliffhanger I’m dying for book three now 😭
Lavender And Lightening comes out on April 23rd. The first book Lilacs And Leather is available on KU!
May 10, 2022
Honestly, I’m frustrated that there is apparently a 3rd book? So this ends on a cliff hanger. Two books and nothing was resolved. I enjoyed the first book, but this one was repetitive and overwrought.
April 28, 2022
This was a struggle to read. I enjoyed book one of this series, but there were a number of reasons that this installment fell flat in comparison.
1. The summaries - I understand that a lot of sequels weave recaps in the early exposition (especially in the romance genre where people pick up books out of order all the time), but considering this series has a continuous storyline the excessive, heavy summaries of the events of the first book seem out of place.
2. Characterization - All of these characters were all over the place. And while I can give a little leeway considering it's a middle book in a series, I didn't feel like the transition from who they were and how they acted in the first book to the second worked. I can understand the intended direction - "stressful events bring out the worst in everyone" - but the first book had it's fair share of stress and everyone was much kinder to each other. Which brings me to point 3.
3. Internal Pack Conflict - With the excessive number of bad actors outside of the pack, adding extra layers of angst and drama within the pack was unsettling. Sure, maybe not everyone responds well to stalkers and blackmail and arson, but how'd we go from a sense of refuge in book one to everyone prioritizing their own wants at the expense of people they "love" in book two?
4. Trauma - One of the things I appreciated about the first book was the handling of Lydia's trauma. Her history is full of abusive people and it felt like the text and characters handled that with a level of care. There was a lot of introspective growth in both her character and relationship development. This book took a hard turn. I understand that healing isn't linear, but it felt like this book prioritized conflict as a plot point over exploring her journey on any real level.
1. The summaries - I understand that a lot of sequels weave recaps in the early exposition (especially in the romance genre where people pick up books out of order all the time), but considering this series has a continuous storyline the excessive, heavy summaries of the events of the first book seem out of place.
2. Characterization - All of these characters were all over the place. And while I can give a little leeway considering it's a middle book in a series, I didn't feel like the transition from who they were and how they acted in the first book to the second worked. I can understand the intended direction - "stressful events bring out the worst in everyone" - but the first book had it's fair share of stress and everyone was much kinder to each other. Which brings me to point 3.
3. Internal Pack Conflict - With the excessive number of bad actors outside of the pack, adding extra layers of angst and drama within the pack was unsettling. Sure, maybe not everyone responds well to stalkers and blackmail and arson, but how'd we go from a sense of refuge in book one to everyone prioritizing their own wants at the expense of people they "love" in book two?
4. Trauma - One of the things I appreciated about the first book was the handling of Lydia's trauma. Her history is full of abusive people and it felt like the text and characters handled that with a level of care. There was a lot of introspective growth in both her character and relationship development. This book took a hard turn. I understand that healing isn't linear, but it felt like this book prioritized conflict as a plot point over exploring her journey on any real level.
April 27, 2022
I can’t… I’m full on crying rn… these cliffhangers are the death of me.
November 13, 2022
2.5 stars
So. Much. Drama. There seemed to just be a lot of unnecessary drama for drama's sake. I'm on the fence as to whether or not to see how this all ends in the final book.
So. Much. Drama. There seemed to just be a lot of unnecessary drama for drama's sake. I'm on the fence as to whether or not to see how this all ends in the final book.
August 22, 2022
Undeniably, 5/5 stars for me. Rhett Cooper is my hero. I love him and all of the pack members so much. Need book 3 ASAP.
October 11, 2022
The relationships were mostly stagnant until the last few chapters of the book, especially between the FMC Lydia and her female prime alpha Alexandra. It was nice seeing all the secrets revealed, and while the smut was hot, the pacing was quite glacial and took me a while to read since I kept getting bored.
I still plan to pick up the next book in the series when it releases, but hopefully the pacing picks up.
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Ratings - completed series:
#1 Lilacs and Leather: ★★★★☆
#2 Lavender and Lightning (this book): ★★★☆☆
#3 Laurels and Liquor: ★★★★☆
I still plan to pick up the next book in the series when it releases, but hopefully the pacing picks up.
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Ratings - completed series:
#1 Lilacs and Leather: ★★★★☆
#2 Lavender and Lightning (this book): ★★★☆☆
#3 Laurels and Liquor: ★★★★☆
May 18, 2022
I need to stop reading incomplete series. Idk how to handle the cliff hangers.
I’m in love w Alexandra. Her and Lydia needed more page time together… Like idgaf about these men.
Ummmm also they, as a group, were so mf stupid sometimes. I couldn’t even comprehend how dull they could be. And why didn’t they just hire a hit man for Seth lmfao?
I’m in love w Alexandra. Her and Lydia needed more page time together… Like idgaf about these men.
Ummmm also they, as a group, were so mf stupid sometimes. I couldn’t even comprehend how dull they could be. And why didn’t they just hire a hit man for Seth lmfao?
June 18, 2025
This is where I end the series. I skipped over the (chapter long) intimate scenes this whole book, I just didn't care anymore. I wanted plot progress, and we barely saw any of it. The final drama felt so unnecessary. The whole book I just wanted to yell and people to DO SOMETHING. My gosh. I'll read spoilers for the final book to see where it all ended.
December 5, 2023
This definitely suffers from second book syndrome but it still mostly work.
What makes and partly breaks this are the characters. I loved Lucas and Matt in this and both of their relationships to Lydia but Lex and Rhett made me want to rip my hair out at times.
There's soo much miscommunication and drama drama drama in this one and yes, I know, we need some drama but the way the relationships were established just made believing it harder.
Especially with Rhett, he's already groveled to Lydia but he needs to grovel more for me! 😂 While I love the other pack members, Rhett and Lydia are what sold me on this series in the first place and I hope we see more of them in the last book! This will really only make sense if you've read ACOTAR and this but I think Woods does do a good job of explaining Rhett and Lex's motivation for everything they did and I was just thinking "damn this is what a Tamlin redemption arc could've been like", so I'll leave it at that 😉
Yes, I know, Mat and Rhett, and now Luc, too, are absolutely obsessed with Lydia but sometimes I did have to say "all this for some random girl??" outloud — and I love her, too! But again, we're supposed to believe that this pack can stand against anything and yet they keep being ripped apart by these omegas lol
We get to meet more of Lyd's family at her brother's wedding (and boy do we get some plot here, too! 😍) and personally, I'm ready for a few redemption arcs there, too 👀
Still love these characters and ready for their HEA 🫶🏻
What makes and partly breaks this are the characters. I loved Lucas and Matt in this and both of their relationships to Lydia but Lex and Rhett made me want to rip my hair out at times.
There's soo much miscommunication and drama drama drama in this one and yes, I know, we need some drama but the way the relationships were established just made believing it harder.
Especially with Rhett, he's already groveled to Lydia but he needs to grovel more for me! 😂 While I love the other pack members, Rhett and Lydia are what sold me on this series in the first place and I hope we see more of them in the last book! This will really only make sense if you've read ACOTAR and this but I think Woods does do a good job of explaining Rhett and Lex's motivation for everything they did and I was just thinking "damn this is what a Tamlin redemption arc could've been like", so I'll leave it at that 😉
Yes, I know, Mat and Rhett, and now Luc, too, are absolutely obsessed with Lydia but sometimes I did have to say "all this for some random girl??" outloud — and I love her, too! But again, we're supposed to believe that this pack can stand against anything and yet they keep being ripped apart by these omegas lol
We get to meet more of Lyd's family at her brother's wedding (and boy do we get some plot here, too! 😍) and personally, I'm ready for a few redemption arcs there, too 👀
Still love these characters and ready for their HEA 🫶🏻
December 4, 2022
3.5 stars.
I would be rating this story higher if I witnessed some conversations about what this relationship was. Are they a monogamous poly Pack? When Mateo says he is hers and she is his, are they not seeing other people? What does this all mean? I need structure People!
I feel like Alex confessed her love for Lydia with very little interaction, so it didn’t click. I almost DNF’d this story several times but stuck with it. Glad to see Lydia finally get her trust fund!
This one starts with the fall-out from the car accident and we discover at about 75% what Lex’s secrets were that held her hostage with Seth. It made sense. Disaster at the flower shop almost causes the Pack to split but that’s what forces the secrets to come out.
This ends after the wedding disaster- I feel like Jason could have gotten Caleb in the wedding as his guest or something. Cliffhanger with Rhett’s arrest.
I wish I connected with these characters more!
I would be rating this story higher if I witnessed some conversations about what this relationship was. Are they a monogamous poly Pack? When Mateo says he is hers and she is his, are they not seeing other people? What does this all mean? I need structure People!
I feel like Alex confessed her love for Lydia with very little interaction, so it didn’t click. I almost DNF’d this story several times but stuck with it. Glad to see Lydia finally get her trust fund!
This one starts with the fall-out from the car accident and we discover at about 75% what Lex’s secrets were that held her hostage with Seth. It made sense. Disaster at the flower shop almost causes the Pack to split but that’s what forces the secrets to come out.
This ends after the wedding disaster- I feel like Jason could have gotten Caleb in the wedding as his guest or something. Cliffhanger with Rhett’s arrest.
I wish I connected with these characters more!
December 23, 2023
I liked the first book a lot more. The beginning was ok, but the middle was very repetitive plot wise, so I was bored. But the ending picked it up and I have high expectations for the third book!
September 19, 2025
Eh. it’s all feeling very strung out but I love the Lucas content.
April 23, 2022
A wonderful distraction from the ol’ diss
But I now have to wait until autumn for the next one and it ended on a CLIFFHANGER
But I now have to wait until autumn for the next one and it ended on a CLIFFHANGER
April 24, 2022
This story is definitely more poly leaning than RH. I think even more so than the first book. Just something to be aware of if that’s not what you’re looking for.
I wasn’t feeling really great about this book around the 75% mark for various reasons, but it had some good action moments that held up for me. I thought the ending was really good too, basically everything from the wedding on. There is a little bit of a cliff hanger, but it’s not really a detrimental one. Heroine isn’t in peril at the end which is how I judge cliff hanger severity. I do think this story was a bit too long, a lot of the discussions about relationships felt like reading a relationship self-help book. I didn’t think it was all necessary to the plot.
The relationship dynamic is a bit too unhealthy for my tastes. They make it sound like Lydia is the opposite of Seth who was opportunistic and manipulative, yet she also uses her designation as an omega against the alphas in a way that is kinda manipulative. She comes across as pretty selfish at times, only thinking about what she wants (usually her independence), and rather than approaching their concerns in a fair and communicative way she chooses to throw tantrums, argue, or run away. This happens multiple times throughout the book and she knows that she has these alphas wrapped around her fingers, of course they’re going to apologize and grovel. It doesn’t seem fair to me that she does this multiple times and nobody recognizes it as a completely toxic behavior. She’s also so stubborn that she has zero concern for the safety of herself and others and even gets angry when people try to explain this to her. She refuses to accept that she is in danger not only from Seth, but also from her family. She gets all high and mighty when she’s yelling at Alexandra about not confronting and resolving the Seth issue, yet she makes zero moves to stand up to her family, to cut them off, or to accept help in resolving the issue. It’s super frustrating when she has these hypocritical monologues.
I skimmed past most of the sex scenes, there were just a lot of them and I didn’t find them to be a particular big draw for me. I didn’t deduct anything from my rating for this, they just weren’t really my style. The BDSM dynamic they explore just seemed a little too formulaic and scripted for me I think, especially the dirty talk. It just felt a bit out of place in the story, like it was added in to check a genre box but doesn’t necessarily go with the story? Idk if that makes sense 😅
I wasn’t feeling really great about this book around the 75% mark for various reasons, but it had some good action moments that held up for me. I thought the ending was really good too, basically everything from the wedding on. There is a little bit of a cliff hanger, but it’s not really a detrimental one. Heroine isn’t in peril at the end which is how I judge cliff hanger severity. I do think this story was a bit too long, a lot of the discussions about relationships felt like reading a relationship self-help book. I didn’t think it was all necessary to the plot.
The relationship dynamic is a bit too unhealthy for my tastes. They make it sound like Lydia is the opposite of Seth who was opportunistic and manipulative, yet she also uses her designation as an omega against the alphas in a way that is kinda manipulative. She comes across as pretty selfish at times, only thinking about what she wants (usually her independence), and rather than approaching their concerns in a fair and communicative way she chooses to throw tantrums, argue, or run away. This happens multiple times throughout the book and she knows that she has these alphas wrapped around her fingers, of course they’re going to apologize and grovel. It doesn’t seem fair to me that she does this multiple times and nobody recognizes it as a completely toxic behavior. She’s also so stubborn that she has zero concern for the safety of herself and others and even gets angry when people try to explain this to her. She refuses to accept that she is in danger not only from Seth, but also from her family. She gets all high and mighty when she’s yelling at Alexandra about not confronting and resolving the Seth issue, yet she makes zero moves to stand up to her family, to cut them off, or to accept help in resolving the issue. It’s super frustrating when she has these hypocritical monologues.
I skimmed past most of the sex scenes, there were just a lot of them and I didn’t find them to be a particular big draw for me. I didn’t deduct anything from my rating for this, they just weren’t really my style. The BDSM dynamic they explore just seemed a little too formulaic and scripted for me I think, especially the dirty talk. It just felt a bit out of place in the story, like it was added in to check a genre box but doesn’t necessarily go with the story? Idk if that makes sense 😅
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2022
Lydia has finally found happiness in her new life. After she ran from an abusive past she has found love and a new pack but her past won't let her go so easily. Add in her new pack's complicated past and Lydia's life is in true danger. She needs to decide if it's worth the risk; if she's worth the trouble. When is it best to stay and fight and when is it best to run away. Again.
I enjoy this series despite it being an exercise in frustration. Communication and trust are sorely lacking among these characters. Instead, they all have a sense of self-martyrdom. Ultimately, it came across as selfish, not caring. I think this would have been better as a duet instead of a trilogy. Then some of the whining and angst could have been cut out to avoid the repetition. Finally, I still don't understand why Lydia holds such power over this pack she barely knows. Is it strictly a scent thing because she has not shown herself to be special in any manner. She cries too much, and she acts immature and foolish at times. She clearly has the power to destroy the pack, destroy their lives, so I question if their bonds are as strong as they believed them to be. Mateo disappears for weeks, Lex works, Rhett loses himself to alcohol, and poor Lucas is clearly not a priority unless one of his doms wants sexy times. On the positive side, I love Lucas. He's the only one who truly pays attention to the others. Mateo won me over in this book. In book one, he was too superficial for me. Rhett did himself no favors in this book between his controlling nature and hiding in the bathroom, and I'm simply not interested in Lex. Still, it is entertaining, and I have a need to see it to the end.
I enjoy this series despite it being an exercise in frustration. Communication and trust are sorely lacking among these characters. Instead, they all have a sense of self-martyrdom. Ultimately, it came across as selfish, not caring. I think this would have been better as a duet instead of a trilogy. Then some of the whining and angst could have been cut out to avoid the repetition. Finally, I still don't understand why Lydia holds such power over this pack she barely knows. Is it strictly a scent thing because she has not shown herself to be special in any manner. She cries too much, and she acts immature and foolish at times. She clearly has the power to destroy the pack, destroy their lives, so I question if their bonds are as strong as they believed them to be. Mateo disappears for weeks, Lex works, Rhett loses himself to alcohol, and poor Lucas is clearly not a priority unless one of his doms wants sexy times. On the positive side, I love Lucas. He's the only one who truly pays attention to the others. Mateo won me over in this book. In book one, he was too superficial for me. Rhett did himself no favors in this book between his controlling nature and hiding in the bathroom, and I'm simply not interested in Lex. Still, it is entertaining, and I have a need to see it to the end.
did-not-finish
October 27, 2022DNF at 16%. I really don’t like Rhett. There’s something about him that drives me crazy. I liked him when they first met… sort of. But, in this book he gets really controlling and over the top. Maybe I’ll come back to this book someday but probably not.
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