Genre: Contemporary Romance, NA
Tropes: RH, revenge quest, childhood friends, enemies to lovers, gang wars, found family
Series: The Harlequin Crew #5
Cliffhanger: No, it's the series final
Trigger Warnings: death, violence, torture, explicit sex scenes
Rating: 4.5 ⭐
Spice: 5/5 🌶
"We don’t need to wield the power of the ocean; we only need to catch the waves and enjoy the ride.”
It was sweet, spice and everything nice. But mostly spice. I loved how much Kings of Quarantine and Society of Psychos content we had here, how we are definitely being set up for a future story with Carmen and Luther and ahhh, the banter, the feels, the smart-ass comebacks. A delight, as always.
》》The Plot《《
Wrapping up the series, the fifth book covers the final showdown between the Harlequins and Shawn, starting right where book 4 has ended, with Fox in the hands of the enemy and the rest of the group in deeeeeep deeeeep trouble (literally, because they are in a hole, rapidly filling up with water). We have connections being formed, bridges mended and some little help from Tatum and her boys as well as from Brooklyn and her boys.
“The great Fox Harlequin,” I whispered, running my hand down to the bandages covering his side, barely grazing over it in case I hurt him. “Still standing even when he’s seen the other side of death.”
“There was nothing waiting for me in hell, baby,” he murmured, the roughness of his voice making my heart pinch at the pain he must have been in. “When the Devil calls my name again, it’ll be listed right after yours.”
“I’m going to hell, am I?” I smirked and he slid his hands down my back, squeezing my ass with a look that was all filth.
“I think the angels might let you through the pearly gates, hummingbird, but the four of us are damned,” he said darkly, sending a shiver fluttering up and down my spine. “I guess we’ll be taking you with us, or breaking down those gates to come hunting for your soul.”
“Might as well pick hell, beautiful. There ain’t no orgies in heaven,” Maverick said."
The book was written in the typical style of the sisters, with multiple POVs, action combined with scenes with the only purpose of allowing us the enjoy the characters and, last but not least, plenty of spice.
》》Characters and Relationships《《
🌈🧑🏼Rogue and Fox
"But you, Rogue, you make sense to me. In fact, you’re the only thing that has ever made sense to me. The one thing I have never had to question or doubt. I may not exist for any particular purpose in this world, but I am choosing you as my purpose. I will make your happiness my meaning on this earth. I promise I will enrage you sometimes, and you will enrage me, and there will be days when we’re at each other’s throats like hungry wolves. But I don’t want it any other way, because it’s our truth, our raw love and hate for each other coming together as one. Maybe we’re the chaos of the universe given flesh. But isn’t there something fucking perfect in that? And in true Fox Harlequin fashion, I have to make a demand of you. Tell me you’ll have me, hummingbird, because I’m yours, every wretched piece of me.”
Finally, he's had some sense knocked into him after a near death experience. He connects with Rogue soooo beautifully, while continuing to be reserved about her other spicy moments, being his very badgery self for most of the book. Of course, he had to have a taste of everything in the end, but in typical Fox-fashion, we got there the hard way.
🌈🧑🏻💼Rogue and Maverick
“I love you,” I told her.
“I love you too,” she answered.
“I made a vow that I’d tried to beat Fox’s letter. I wanted to put into words how much I adore you, but I’m fucking shit at writing it down.”
“You don’t need to do that. I know how you feel.”
“I wish I could say it better,” I said in a growl. “I wish I could tell you that I love you as catastrophically as the loss of you broke me. That this kind of ruin is a far sweeter destruction to endure, and that I would never choose any other downfall but this.”
I was always in love with how well these two understood and patched each other up. Starting as outsiders, full of past trauma and insecurities and helping themselves heal along the way. They were a great fit and I loved this relationship from its very beginning.
🌈🧑🏻Rogue and Chase
“I love you, Chase Cohen,” I murmured into his mouth, wanting him to taste the words on my lips and feel the truth of them as he devoured every one of them.
“I don’t deserve your love. But I will. I’ll earn it every day that I have left to me and make myself worthy if it’s the last thing I do.”
“Stop,” I protested.
“The Last Time by Taylor Swift and Gary Lightbody. And I love you too.”
I'm sorry to still see Chase doubting himself, after all his redemption arc, but I've seen growth in that direction, especially with help from Rogue and JJ. And I still find it adorable how he gives her a song for every moment he wishes to say 'I love you'.
🌈🧑🏽Rogue and JJ
“I love you, Johnny James. And I’m not going anywhere. So stop looking at me like you think I might vanish if you dare to look away.”
These two have been sweetening this story from beginning, and we've had a lot of love between them for so long that it's not surprising anymore how lovey-dovey they are.
🧑🏼💼🌹Luther and Carmen
“Oh, chico tonto,” she tutted at him like he was a kid. “Perhaps God ran out of intelligence the day she made you, so she gave you extra strength and beauty to make up for it. Goodbye, Luther.”
I want a book with them. I need it yesterday. All the soft banter and teasing, all the glimpses we get of these two only make me want it with more urgency. Kind of like Rogue needing greasy French fries.
》》Favorite Scenes《《
🧑🏼🌈Fox and Rogue
🧑🏽🧑🏻💼🧑🏻🌈🧑🏼 The boys discovering Rogue in Fox's bed
“Well look what we have here,” Maverick said. “What the fuck happened to her clothes, Foxy boy? Damn mystery, that is.”
“Fuck off, Rick,” I ground out, my hand going to my throat and drawing Chase’s gaze.
“Did you two…” Chase started, looking weirdly hopeful.
“Of course they did,” JJ said, rounding on me with a wide smile. “I don’t even need to call on my sexth sense for this one, the truth is everywhere.”
💌 Fox's letter
🧑🏼💼🌹 Luther going to see Carmen
👀 Travis flirting with Carmen
🧑🏽🧑🏻JJ and Chase having a talk
"I love every piece of you, and so does Rogue, so does Rick, and Fox. So stop listening to the villains in your head and start listening to the people out here who matter.”
🧑🏼💼🧑🏽🧑🏻🌈Luther finding JJ, Chase and Rogue naked in the pool
🧑🏻🧑🏽🧑🏼🧑🏻💼🧑🏼💼🌈The guys explaining to Luther their relationship with Rogue
“On second thoughts, I don’t want to know,” Luther muttered
“It’s simple really,” JJ said anyway. “We’re in love with her. All four of us.”
“Always have been,” Chase added.
“And she’s in love with us, aren’t you, beautiful?”Rick added.
“Yes.”
“Well, I don’t really want to know how you figure out the mechanics of all that, but if it’s what was needed to reunite my family then I can’t say I have any objections to it.”
🧑🏻💼🌈💋Maverick and Rogue going to see Mia
🦑The squid emoji again
“Shoot me a text when he’s dead,” Mia called, and I smirked as I turned back to her.
“When you get a squid emoji from me, that means it’s done,” Rogue promised, and I sniggered as Mia smiled.
“That’s not what a squid emoji means.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s why it’s the perfect code.”
👀Texas spotting what Chase, Maverick and Rogue were up to in backstage
🧑🏽JJ asking Gwan for help
🧑🏽🌈JJ's mom asking Rogue to take care of JJ
🌈🧑🏽Rogue talking JJ into giving Gawn a real shot
🧑🏽🧑🏻💼JJ and Maverick talking about their dads
“So you’re Augustus Rosewood, huh?” I breached the silence.
“Yeah, and you’re Gwanny James Junior.”
“Fuck off."
🚘Chasing Shawn
🧑🏼🧑🏻🌈Fox finding Chase and Rogue
🧑🏻Chase's story for the cop
🎉The surprise birthday party for Fox
🧑🏼🌈Fox stealing Rogue away
🧑🏼💼🐶Luther talking about Mutt with Pepito
🧑🏽🧑🏼JJ teasing Fox about Dark Fae
“It’s five books and they’re huge,” I said.
“I gave them to you weeks ago. You’re such a slow reader, man.”
“Well maybe I stopped reading after book three.”
“What? You’re joking, right? Book three was a huge cliff-hanger.”
“She chose one of the guys. And not the one I was rooting for.”
“Oh my god,” he groaned. “You’re so stupid. This is why you’re not getting it.”
“Not getting what?”
“Us. We’re her harem.”
“Uhuh,” I said dryly.
“God, you’re such a Gabe.”
🧑🏻🌈Chase taking Rogue out
🧑🏼🧑🏻💼Fox and Maverick taking the charge from Luther
🦑Saint's chapter
"There was depth to the squid. Depth which I was as yet, still unable to fathom."
🚄Getting Rosie on the train
🧑🏼💼🌹Luther's phone call with Carmen
🧑🏼Fox being in the closet
🧑🏻💼🧑🏼Maverick talking to Fox
🌈🧑🏻💼Rogue waking Maverick up
🧑🏻💼🧑🏼🌈Maverick, Fox and Rogue
👵🏻Miss Mable being absolutely iconic + the mention of Kyan's grandfather was top notch
“Oh don’t worry about all that. I did plenty of dongle dancing in my day. Goodness, I even had an amorous tryst with an Irish mob boss once who really rocketed me to the moon, if you know what I mean. Liam O’Brien still visits my dreams to this day, I can tell you now.”
🎐The jellyfish
🦑Saint and Tatum coming to help
🔨Niall's chapter
🌈Rogue fighting
🦈The sharks
🧑🏼Fox wanting to start an orgy
“I wanna try group sex,” I said.
“You did not just announce an orgy,” JJ said, shaking his head at me as heat blazed up my spine.
“Well, I don’t fucking know how else to do this,” I growled.
“You need the orgy trumpet,” Chase joked. “Give it a good blow and our cocks will rise like an army ready to invade Rogue’s realms.”
🧑🏼Fox's first orgy, through his eyes, being possibly the most hilarious thing in this book
"JJ leaned in to lick and suck at both Chase and Rogue’s flesh while the others started moving, groaning, pawing at each other, and I just stood there like I was in line at the grocery store, dick in hand like a discounted sausage."
🧑🏽🧑🏼JJ and Fox talking about Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac again
🔨🧑🏽Niall giving JJ a ride
💚Ranger
🎉Tatum and Saint's surprise
》》Conclusion《《
“And there I was thinking that a girl with a verb for a name would be incapable of intriguing me,” Saint said, arching a brow as I gave him a shrug.
“Better than having an improper noun for one.”
Silence hung between us, and Saint barked a laugh suddenly, beckoning me after him as he started up the stairs.
Another series reached its end and, while I'm happy to see the characters all the way through, I feel like the Epilogue could have been better, with some more scenes and details. Also, did I see something being prepared there, at the end, between Ranger and the River boys ?