The Barrier Between

Collector #2

by Stacey Marie Brown

Zoey’s life has taken a dramatic turn. Only a few months ago she was a Collector working for the a secret part of the government called the Department of Molecular Genetics (DMG), tracking and collecting fae. Her life had been changing and improving with a partner she loved and a sister she adored.

Now all that is gone—Daniel murdered by a fae, and Lexi killed when the Seattle area is devastated by a powerful, magical electrical storm. Zoey herself is altered by her association with the Wanderer, Ryker, in life-changing way.

Zoey discovered she was an experiment from the very company she worked for. She could die at any moment of a threatening defect—taking Ryker’s magic with her.

In a race against time, Ryker and Zoey set out to find a way to transfer his powers back before it’s too late. Their journey takes them to the rainforests of South America, dealing with those who are after something Ryker possesses and who will stop at nothing to obtain it for themselves.

What Zoey and Ryker discover can destroy them or tear them a part for good.

Genres: Fantasy, Fae, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy, New Adult, Magic

387 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 29, 2015

About the author

Stacey Marie Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt. She also enjoys books, travel, TV shows, hiking, writing, design, and archery. Stacey swears she is part gypsy, being lucky enough to live and travel all over the world.

Reviews

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Needed something more from the story*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

Re-read: 18.06.2018
The book centers around Zoey Daniels (23 though she is actually a year older) and a ruthless dark fae, a Wanderer (a jumper. They can blink in and out of time and space. Travel anywhere they want in the world in an instant) named Ryker. Because an extreme fae-caused electrical storm last month transferred Ryker’s powers to Zoey, she now has the ability to jump wherever she wants in a split second. Of course, she can't control it. However, that's the least of her problems. Fae and humans alike are after the two for both The Stone and each one of them. There's also the fact that Zoey is dying and time is running out...

“Promise me.” The drug already slurred my words.
Ryker’s eyes widened, understanding my meaning. “No.”
“Promise me.”
“Promise her what?” Vadik glanced between us.
Ryker and I ignored him. Our eyes fastened on each other. Finally he nodded, keeping his expression guarded. “I promise.”
His words hit me like a weight, crushing me.

Overall, I loved seeing Ryker and Zoey becoming closer. It was a great development between the two of them, and Zoey was a better character in this book than the previous one. However, with Ryker losing his powers, losing who he is, it's hard to picture him this all powerful being. Even though he managed to survive whatever is thrown at him. He is extremely strong and quite determent. I hope we get a more... powerful and complete Ryder in the next read. The story was interesting, but still a bit predictable, however, since I haven't read the next two books in the series, I'm interested to see where they'll take me.

“The balam... you got away.”
A cocky grin tugged the side of his mouth. “Did you even doubt?”
“No.” My gaze fastened to his. Somewhere in my gut I had known he had made it out. He had to. He was the invincible Wanderer. A fae legend.

Other characters:
I've put these in a spoilers tag simply because it's a long list; contains spoilers
↦ Daniel Holt (40), Zoey's co-worker of three years and the man she loves. Dies in book one.
↦ Dr. Boris Rapava (mid-50s), the director of DMG (a special government agency, the Department of Molecular Genetics), who had made a discovery fifteen years earlier showing the value of fae cells in helping humans. Or so they used to be. Now, Rapava is obsessed with making humans into warriors by using the fae and experiments.
↦ Lexie (12), not her real sister. She was a fellow foster kid, but the closest thing Zoey could ever imagine to having a sibling. Dies in book one.
↦ Joanna ‘Jo’ Wilcox, the foster parent. Dies in book one.
↦ Kate Grier, a scientist who works at DMG.
↦ Liam (early 30s) and Sera (mid-20s), another collector team like Zoey and Daniel.
↦ Sprig, a sprite that looks like a little monkey. Sprites mostly stay in the Otherworld. They were tiny, no more than four or five inches. They were long-eared, round-faced, adorable little things with wings. They were exceptional because they had the consistency of a ghost. Sprite is derived from the Latin word spirit, and they do appear more ghostly than a real being, but you could hold them and catch them like a solid organism. Sprig is a narcoleptic: he tends to fall asleep at the most inopportune moments. He calls Zoey ‘Bhean’, human in Gaelic.
↦ Elthia, a fae and a healer.
↦ Marcello, the leader of a gang. Smart one; thinks everything through before doing it. Maria, his sister. She was the one who told him what was going on and got it organized, but she let his fragile male ego believe it was all his doing. Ryker smashed his ax into Marcello's head; he's alive, but no longer properly functioning.
↦ Garrett, a fae. He is Vadik’s lead man and muscle and wanted nothing more than to catch Zoey and Ryker and take the Stone of Destiny back to Vadik, an extremely powerful, dangerous, and wealthy man. Vadik is a demon.
↦ Regnus, an extremely powerful shaman, the head of the shaman leaders.
↦ Croygen, a type of dark fae who can blend in with his surroundings so thoroughly it’s like he vanishes in front of you. Looks like a - and is a somewhat pirate.
↦ Amara ‘Mara’, a fae and Ryker's woman. Is really working for Vadik.
↦ Annabeth, kidnapped by - and works for - the Scorpions; used to be the rival gang to Marcello. Now, he has taken over and Maria also works for the Scorpions.

Our lips found each other. It was like I could breathe again. The moment my mouth was on his, the world disappeared.
A body slammed into us, pushing us apart. I didn’t want to stop kissing him. I had been kissed a lot in my past, but this was different. It went beyond earth shattering or any other stupid platitude I could think of. I had never felt completely safe before. Always on edge and waiting for the other shoe to drop. Security was always an obscure idea. Something I dreamed about having but never really understood.
I knew instantly what the difference was. He was home. It terrified me.
It was worse than any drug I ever tried or heard about. Even if someone had made an ultimatum between my life and kissing him, I wouldn’t be able to stop touching or kissing him. I needed him worse than I needed air.

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (New Adult?) Paranormal Romance.
Series: - Series, Book Two.
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - No.
Favorite character? - Ryker.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Sure.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Sure.
Will I read this again in the future? - Probably not.
New Rating - 3 stars.

First read: 06.06.2015
Rate: 3.5 stars.

[Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★ To read my full review of 'The Barrier Between' visit my blog ★★★

Rating: 3.5 stars

‘I should have known once you open a sealed jar, it can never be truly closed again. Feelings and thoughts bled into the cracks and seeped in. Modifying, changing, corroding what had worked perfectly before.’

“Wait. Why are you mad at me?”
“Because.” He shook his head, forcing his heated gaze from me, his voice low. “You changed everything.”

‘City in Embers’ left me in a place where I could see so much to foster and so much to assemble come the next book, ‘The Barrier Between’. ‘City in Embers’ reached its conclusion on a forestalling note of ‘what next?’, ‘what’s going to happen between Ryker and Zoey?’, ‘I wonder how they are going to evolve together?’ ‘And how they are going to tackle what has fallen at their unlucky feet?’ among other excited thoughts. In other words the ending of ‘City in Embers’ left a lot to be said and a lot to anticipate with this intense dystopian story and what is being cultivated between Ryker and Zoey. I was eager!

“When did you sneak in?” he whispered so low I barely heard him. “Get this far under my skin?”

‘The moment our lips met, the barrier combusted…’

‘The Barrier Between’ unfortunately missed out and fell flat where expectantly probing parts of this story could have flourished its roots and brandished its pursuits with a wieldy blade. I enjoyed this book and what it did offer, but there were plot points and character actions which frustrated me, and I’d be lying if I said it was better than its predecessor. Reading ‘The Barrier Between’ was like waiting for the ice cream van to halt its tyres at my stop, only to ride right past me, leaving me without the sweet treat I was looking forward to and a pocket full of money that I don’t know what to spend on…Unsated, and missing a flavour I was hoping would soon coat my tongue.

“I was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for him. Are you?”

‘Maria’s lips curled in a malevolence. “The Avenging Angel has come home.’

Now residing in Peru, Zoey and her fae cohorts are far away from Seattle’s grieving streets and the electric storm that invoked mass destruction. Ryker and Zoey are careful to watch their backs from the countless people who are after them for a tempting destiny Ryker has locked in the sole of his boot. With information coming to light, enemies trailing them, Ryker and Zoey are in a race against transience, finding ways for Ryker to retrieve his powers back from where they presently live: inside Zoey.

‘He tipped his forehead against mine. “What am I going to do with you?”

‘I never feared death, but now I wasn’t living solely for me.’

Zoey becomes saturated with fae power, magic overtaking her system, while Ryker is shedding the skin of what makes him fae. Doing everything she can to partition Ryker’s powers from acclimating to her body, Zoey is severely worried for the safety of the Viking she is so reservedly falling for… but just when barriers are cautiously falling as they offer pieces of themselves for the other to hold, their safe harbour shatters because the barrier between them gradually begins assembling.

‘I was hoping the faster I walked, the quicker I would leave those newfound emotions behind, drowning them in the rushing water.’

Zoey comes to realise that everything is temporary, but her feelings are not, and neither is her fear, matching Ryker’s own as they fight an argue, kiss and seek comfort, longing and fearing, but they know this isn’t going to end well because when it comes down to it a sacrifice will become the inevitable aftermath. They are both pre-emptively careful trying not to cross lines, and hiding what they really want, and Zoey and Ryker are more alike than they care to admit.

“Fuck you for screwing everything up,” he whispered hoarsely, letting his hand glide down my face.

“And fuck you, Wanderer, for wreaking havoc in mine,” I responded in the same breathy tone.’

As the breaks hit, and trouble rises, this fantastic threesome becomes a miserable fivesome, and Ryker’s past has every intention of not letting him go. Here is where Stacey Marie Brown propels the story into cliché territory. I don’t mind cliché as long as it has a fresh twist on the generic and has been executed in a smart, exciting way (even a simple way) - and Amara was undoubtedly going to make a reappearance in this story - but the author seemed to plunge her heels into the generic ‘ex-girlfriend/jealousy’ trope and ran with it in an superfluous way. I didn’t like how ‘The Barrier Between’ relied on this cliché to carry this book.

“I feel like I’m in prison.”
“No….You’re in hell.”

There are developments within this story, but not a great deal does evolve plot-wise because ‘The Barrier Between’ explores the stagnation and trials both Zoey and Ryker face through this dangerous mess of oncoming death and vague ambiguity. I like the constant state of conflict, the angst and drama, the sexual tension and the heated fire that tides with a single touch between Ryker and Zoey…its honestly hot!

Desire charged his expression.
The dam we’d tried to build between us splintered.
We moved at the same time.’

Ryker is the only man who has seen the different sides of Zoey, he sees her instability and volatility, and the flux in between. Vulnerability isn’t something Zoey shares at all – if not in kind – and her feelings for Ryker make her brittle, and she can’t show them unless they are accepted or shared. After raw loss, she can’t fathom any more of it, only her life seems to be taking her there…again. And If denial means safety… then denial is the thorn to pluck.

After deceit arises to the surface, and evil shows its face, Zoey and Ryker are torn and helpless because now there is a bigger barrier between.

“God dropped his Angel on me again, and I’m not letting you get away this time.”

P.S. This series has gorgeous book covers, this especially being my favourite!

Trigger Warning: Sex scenes that aren’t largely descriptive and swearing.

Note: This series could also do with another round of editing because I spotted minor grammatical mistakes and spelling errors.

[Pam Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 The Barrier Between Stars

Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.

I liked this book too, and I totally fist bumped the air when somethings happened.
I can’t help it!!! I love, love.

Although I did fine some parts of the story to be a little slow. I was still pretty impressed with how much my attention was caught and held by this book.

I am invested now I need to know what is going to happen. Though I will say I want to shake Zoey sometimes I can’t really blame her.

It’s the ex that bothers me and how Ryker never really questions her like WTF man. Something is sketchy about that.

I love Sprig! His honey addiction and narcolepsy crack me up something funny and how Ryker and Zoey treat him like their child.

Again loving the narration like I said before. She doesn’t try to be all the characters and the ones she does she brings to life.

*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*

[Antonella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally continuing with this series...
I really liked it!!
A brilliant mixture of humor, action, and steam...

[Jaime (Two Chicks on Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuggg that ending!!! On to book 3! Also I think I like this series better than the Darkness series!

[Jax O · Rating 5 out of 5]

No, No, NNNnnnnooooo!!!!! This is unacceptable, and I refuse to acknowledge that as the ending. Stacey you have just sentenced me to a short term vakay in the "nut house" while I am impatiently waiting for the next book. They experience with Book 1 solidly confirmed this series place on the favs list, but if it hadn't think sequel would have sealed the deal. I can not get over how Zoey and Ryker were such an unlikely pair, but they have somehow come to respect one another. Then further splendor as I watched this mutual respect grow to love. Their romance is one that will leave you as the reader tingly and giddy like an adolescent school girl. I loved every heart stopping moment that he touches or shares with Zoey what she truly means to him. It is such a rare occasion that I could feel it deep down to my toes. Unfortunately, that is accompanied by dangers around every corner. It genuinely feels as though these two will have to accomplish the impossible to survive. This adventure in the magical world of fae is not like any others I have seen. I have grown a soft spot for the towering viking and the annoyingly adorable sprite. After the completion of this second book they have more enemies than I can count, and the desperation is at an all time high. I love an action packed story that will never allow you a moment to get tired. The Barrier Between swept me up with the first page, and dropped me off with THE END. There are signs that lead us to great stories, but the combination of this powerful story line accompanied by their mighty love story this far surpasses great and turns the corner to spectacular. That is enough lets be totally honest there is absolutely no way for my mere words can offer this story the kind of justice that it sincerely deserves, so do me a solid right here, right now JUST GO READ IT!!! You won't be sorry.
~BookWhisperer Reviewer JO~

[itsmeesahara❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐⭐⭐

A lot has happened to Zoey & Ryker, I love that there’s improvement in the relationship of Ryker and Zoey. I especially love the scene between Ryker, Zoey & Sprig at Izel’s 😁
What I don't really like is whenever Zoey jumps to the “Fight Club”. It was like it was put there just to make Zoey look tough😳. I felt like there were a lot of things going on but there was no progress in the story at all.

This may not be my favorite but the author still kept me curious & interested on what will happen with Ryker & Zoey, so onto the next book🤓

“Promise me you will never handle it again. We’ve been through far too much shit for me to lose you to a rock.”

[ᑭIᑭEᖇ⒤ᗩᗰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I found this author. This is a really good UF series. No weak, annoying heroines who are always worried about what her love interest is doing or is always making stupid mistakes because she doesn't use her pea brain first. This series is a refreshing change to what has become a tedious genre.

[K.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm... Let me Say that I still thought that this book was pretty great but compared to the first, this on fell short quite a little. I enjoyed almost 60% of the book at the beginning and later on, the story just got a little weird for me. It was great but it got some common unbelievable vibe going on.

Spoiler ALERT!!

I really loved the first part of the book. We had the new setting here. Since the escape jump made by Zoey who now was beginning to gain Ryker's power, they were then in Peru. Since Zoey was still unable to control her new ability, they were all struck there. Zoey, Ryker and Sprig. In the first book, Seattle suffered from mysterious electrical storm that made electricity and the city destroyed. the whole book had the apocalype vibe to it. Now, we had the city in Peru. With enemies and their problems so far away, the relationship between Ryker and Zoey made a major turn. A lot of coincident made them grew closer from reluctant companions to almost lovers. From sharing a bed to the towel cliche scene, the book made it pretty clear that their attraction had made the turning point. They somehow could not keep their hands off each other anymore. So when they finally succumbed to the attraction, they went at it pretty heavily. I didn't mind their sudden change in their relationship. I thought the attraction was already pretty obvious in the first book and 30% of the second pretty confirmed it. However, even though their relationship turned sexual, both Ryker and Zoey still held back the last piece of themselves, their hearts which was expected. Zoey was definitely still loved Daniel or at least still held on the the idea of being in love with him. Since she could not admit the feeling of love to Ryker yet. No matter how important he was becoming to herself and her life, she was still somewhat human while he was a fae. She thought it was wrong for her to just fell right in love with Ryker who was her enemy. Her confusion and reluctant was acceptable and believable. Her feeling was also getting confused with her changing beliefs.

Ryker, on the other hand... well he totally wanted Zoey pretty badly. I imagined that perhaps the Stone of Destiny was also a part in this, showing him what he desired... there was none of this in the book but I saw the possibility since it did the same to Zoey later on. There wasn't much showing from Ryker since the book was all Zoey's POV but there were definitely hints here and there that his feeling finally had shifted. He finally opened up to Zoey and telling her more about his pasts. They were getting closer. They saw each other as more than fae or human, but as man and woman. However, even after their partnership turned sexual, he still used Amara as the wall between them.

I also really loved Sprig. He totally gave the book the humour of it. And he was totally pushing Ryker and Zoey together with his funny and unappropriated innuendoes.

Like the first book, there was many things happenings. And this was suddenly something that I didn't enjoyed as much as the first book. Everyone wanted the stone and everyone wanted revenge with Ryker. Since DGM was so far away in Seattle, they decided to pursue another issue. To transfer back Ryker's power. Ryker decided to search for a powerful shaman in the area, hoping he could help. They, instead, encountered Arlo, another old enemy of Ryker who also wanted the stone. Obviously they got away and once again Ryker and Zoey were badass. I loved it. Then they met Croygen, another enemy but also a fae who owned a life debt to Ryker. Both Ryker and Croygen hated each other but they both hated human too. Apparently, Croygen was also a thief. He and Ryker met while trying to steal the same thing. However, somehow Ryker had saved Croygen life in the past and Croygen was now connected to Ryker and owned a debt to him. Let me first say that at this point, I still had no problem whatsoever with the book but afterward, I would find that there were some fishy about the book.

Croygen attempted to help Ryker finding the Shaman, Regnus but he ended up leading them to Mongolia to meet Amara. Apparently, Regnus was like a father-figure for Amara or so she said. With Amara there, another problem revealed. It seemed that Ryker would soon die if he did not get his power back. And the only way was for Zoey to die before the power became fully hers. Worse, if the power was fully hers, Ryker would have to also be the one to kill Zoey. Obviously, Ryker could not do it even when Amara insisted that Zoey held no value. She was, after all, a human and Amara refused to believe that she was more important to him than his power. Ryker did not kill Zoey but he also did not disagreed with Amara. That dampened their relationship pretty quickly, not that Amara was back into Ryker's life. Since her didn't seem to want the relationship with her. Zoey and Ryker relationship promised to end in death.

Amara was very insisting in wanting to locate the stone. She feared that Vadik would get it first. Ryker and Zoey were not willing to tell her the truth that the stone was with Ryker all the time. Amara didnot know this and continued to care mostly about locating the stone more than even the relationship between Ryker and Zoey. This showed pretty much the relationship between Ryker and Amara. Still Amara and Ryker were fae and she was very beautiful so Zoey still had her doubt. Especially when Ryker was suddenly distancing himself from her. With the his fae power issue and Amara around, Zoey could not stand to stay together with them. Ryker had to kill her. Zoey was very furious that Ryker did not tell her of his knowledge of his death. However, she also did not reveal that she was dying too. From the Daniel's video, she found out more that she, along with Sera had defect and would die pretty soon. Let just say that when Ryker finally got that knowledge, they were pretty f*cked then.

With so many problem coming their way, Ryker and Zoey still could not stay away from each other. They decided, in their own way, to distancing themselves. They didn't have sex but it seemed that their feeling grew. Ryker decided to give Zoey the surprise by bringing her to Machu Pichu. They almost had sex in public but was stopped by a park ranger. Their glamour power failed them. Ryker's power was weakened while Zoey was unable to control it. And again problem came. Ryker and Zoey was ambushed by Kanaima, a South American shaman, who of course also wanted the stone along with a group of Balam, vicious jaguar shape-shifters. Zoey eventually made the jump at a dying moment and ended up in Seattle. However I totally didn't get why she was suddenly went back to Marcello's home. She was captured by Maria. Then she was forced to fight again. She couldn't jump again so she ended up being the slave fighter to Maria. Along the way, she met Annabeth, another slave girl whom she deemed one of her new purpose.s Annabeth reminded Zoey of Lexie and she promised to rescue her. She met Duc, the new mafia leader who controlled Seattle. During her fight, Garrett and his men found Zoey due to her posters everywhere.... I swore by this point, I thought that Zoey was like a problem magnet. Just when Garrett was gonna catch her, she was finally able to jump back, embracing her new power. The life in Peru afterward was much different with Amara and Croygen in the picture. Ryker and Zoey obviously wanted each other but situation and too many problem wanted them apart. Amara still insisted to get the stone which Ryker finally agreed but he demanded that they returned to Seattle first. (Why?) Amara finally reluctantly agreed. However, at the same time, Croygen was mysteriously disappeared and suddenly Zoey wanted to know where he was going so she followed him. Of course, she used her jump ability and ended up getting caught by Garrett again... Hmmm... Garrett used Zoey to lure Ryker out. They finally met Vadik for the first time. Vadik blackmailed Ryker with Zoey's safety and finally got caught too. Amara revealed herself as again a conniving bitch for working for Vadik from the very beginning. Zoey found herself back in DMG again since Vadik worked together with Dr. Rapava. The book ended with cliffhanger as expected.

Whew... too many things happened. Although the flow was pretty good, there were too many tiny parts that was too coincidental in my opinion.

My problem came with Zoey ability to get into trouble. Zoey could now somehow use glamour and jump. But I thought that she always ended up in bad situation almost all the time. Like when she jumped to Seattle.

This was a big jump. Of all the places in the world—what brought me back here? Why this place?

Yeah I asked the same question. And I really didn't believe it as a coincident. I thought it kinda didn't make any sense. So much so that I began to think that the author used this ability as the easy way for Zoey to get away from troubles and into bigger troubles. because when she jumped again to follow Croygen, she was caught by Gerrett again. Why? was Croygen near Garrett? did they work together? by the end I thought not and so I didn't think that Croygen would just happened to be near Garrett so why didn't she jump near Croygen. And with all her badassness, she got caught every times.

And While Zoey jumped, she left Ryker in a serious dangerous situation. However, Ryker made it through just because he was awesome that way. Like from Kanaima, the book did not explained at all how Ryker got away from him and a group of Balam.

...“The balam... you got away.”
A cocky grin tugged the side of his mouth. “Did you even doubt?”
“No.” My gaze fastened to his. Somewhere in my gut I had known he had made it out. He had to. He was the invincible Wanderer. A fae legend.

But his power was stolen. He was no longer that invincible. I didn't really believed that he could get through that easily. The book made the easy way out. I didn't like it.

And Croygen's debt with Ryker... I really wanted to know how it happened. But I kinda suspected that I would never get the answer from the way the author wrote about it. It was just the reason for Croygen to be there without having to explain anything.

And Duc... I hoped my suspicious was wrong and there was more explanation in the next book.

The overall book was still definitely enjoyable but some flaws just didn't make it as good as the first.

4.25 Stars

[BW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waiting:


Finished 6/4/15:

I loved this one! I was so excited to have a day off and crack this puppy open!! THE FEELS!!!



This book was all I wanted and more! The perfect in between the end of the trilogy! I salivated with the interaction between Zoey and Ryker! It's damn near the best book I've read in a long time! Once I found Stacie Marie Brown, she never disappoints! Book 3 is right around the corner!

Game on crouton!

[Ember Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I received an early review copy of this and hands down one of the best books ever! Stacey doesn't dissapoint book 2 starts right off where book one ended and the twists and turns and edge of your seat excitement left me glued to the pages:) the story is a little of everything I love, romance, fantasy,comedy at times can't get over sprig he's one smart little monkeysprite. I completely rate this 5 stars all the way please read city in embers first and I can bet you will love it and go straight for this amazing read!

[Dominika · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Ms. Dess]

My Rating: Unrated(because I know this isn’t my usual genre and I want to be fair)
Series Status: Still reading… unfortunately

We Have:
✅ Fantasy Romance
✅ Fae + Human
✅ Enemies to Lovers (Getting There)
✅ Tragic Backstories
✅ Open Door Spice (Finally)
✅ Found Family
✅ Prophecy, Betrayal, and Emotional Whiplash
✅ Sprite Monkey Who Won’t Shut the Hell Up

So let’s get this out of the way—I’m not rating this book or the series (yet). Not because it’s bad, but because this just isn’t my usual flavor of fantasy romance. And dragging a book for not being what I personally enjoy feels like a dick move when it’s clearly doing the job for the right reader.

Book 2 is doing what Book 1 didn’t—finally giving us answers, character depth, emotional payoff, and a little bit of spice. And for readers who love a story-heavy, angst-laced, slow-burn fantasy romance? This one will hit all the right notes.

We pick up right where the last book left off. Zoey and Viking (I still refuse to look up his name) are starting to tolerate each other. You feel the shift—the pull gets stronger, the tension turns softer, and their connection starts taking shape. We get backstory. We get grief. We get those painful “I want to trust you but I physically can’t” moments. And honestly? It works. You want to root for them.

This book actually delivers on the worldbuilding promises of Book 1. Breadcrumbs become real plot, the mystery starts to unfold, and the tension between characters (romantic and otherwise) starts cracking wide open. And yes—we get some spice. Not my flavor of smut, but it’s open door and emotionally charged, and for readers dipping their toes into fantasy spice? It’s probably perfect.

But here’s where I tapped out emotionally:
I cannot stand the cycle of building these two up just to break them apart again. There’s betrayal. There’s jealousy. There’s a classic ex situation that pissed me all the way off. You want to believe the MMC is fighting for her—but then he retreats, then doesn’t, then does again. It’s exhausting. And while I get the emotional complexity, I’m also just tired.

And Sprig? I’ve had it. If that little narcoleptic chaos gremlin interrupts one more intense moment with his “feed me, I’m annoying!” energy, I’m going to lose it. Like sir… please. Sit your punk ass down and let these people fuck in peace.

Mara? Hate her.
Garrett? Not sure what’s going on there but I don’t like how intrigued I am.
And no, this isn’t a why-choose, but damn if my brain didn’t try to make it one anyway.

This book lays out a path forward for the series. We get real answers. The character development deepens. You want to see these people succeed—even if the pacing is emotionally brutal and the “nothing can ever be easy” timeline is giving predictable fantasy structure. It’s cliché, yeah—but it’s still doing what it’s supposed to do.

So here’s the truth:
This isn’t my kind of fantasy romance. I need more heat, less drag. More resolution, less “let’s fall apart for three more books.” But it’s well-written, well-plotted, and if you’re someone who loves fantasy with big emotional arcs and slow-burning tension over smut-heavy chaos? You’re gonna LOVE this.

Final thoughts:
The betrayal hit.
The tension delivered.
The damn monkey needs to be sedated.
And me? I hate that the plot is plotting so fucking much that I need to know how this fucker ends.

I will be rage reading.
Because of Sprig.
And Mara.
And probably Viking, again.

But I’ll finish the damn series—because I 100% do not know how to DNF a single fucking thing and I hate myself for it.

Send help. And snacks. And Alcohol…. Looootss of Alcohol

[Vanessa Gayle ⚔️ Fangirl Faction · Rating 5 out of 5]

11/13/2020: Reread!

This review MAY contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

The first book in this series greatly impressed me, but this book was even better! I adore this fictional world where fae come in all different shapes, sizes, and races and are hidden from (most) humans.

This book leaves off right where City in Embers left off so there is no time lapse in between books. I was glad for it. The plot really expands so much in the second book. It gets way more intense and so many things come to light. I was so compelled to read it that I finished the entire book in one sitting, just as I did with the first book. There were some plot twists that I did not foresee that I was jazzed about. I hate to see them coming so I was pleased that I didn't. The foreshadowing and mystery were woven into the story very well. At times you really didn't know who was ally or foe. I also loved the many different "villains" in the story, because there are a lot! There are three main groups of villains and then there were other threats as well. I liked the balance and how each threat played into the story as a whole.

I love the world-building in this! Most of the book is set in Peru and the descriptions are just lovely. I felt like I was personally walking through the rainforest, seeing Machu Picchu, going to dive bars, and eating in quaint diners. It was very atmospheric.

I loved the new characters in the book and how they contributed to and changed the dynamic and the chemistry between the characters. SO MUCH DRAMA, YA'LL! And it is so tasty! Hehe. There were girl feuds that got my blood boiling and bro fights that riled me up. The environment created by the characters was intoxicating. The character growth of the main characters in this book has a lot of depth. They are constantly showing their cards and their true natures, even if they have to go through their own obstacles to get there. The demons that they face in themselves helps them to overcome their obstacles and makes them really decide on what they truly want.

The romance in this book is damn hot! I don't think that there is any other way to put it. This series had a slow-burn romance, which I love. I adore the way that the two main characters come together and get to know each other so completely. They wrestle with themselves over their feelings though, never really admitting that they have them for one another but definitely showing *ahem, physically, cough* that they actually do. There is a lot of body language and dialogue between the characters that shows their true feelings. And it is glorious!

Overall, this series is quickly lodging itself into my heart. I have fallen in love with these characters and this creative fantasy world. I definitely have a new favorite author! Stacey Marie Brown is a talented storyteller that you won't want to miss out on!

More reviews on my blog: Novel Nerd Faction

[Megpie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

This was a great sequel to the Collector series! We had a lot more going on in this one compared to the first one, the plot moved forward a lot more and we got tons of Zoey and Ryker...



WHO-HOO!
ABOUT DAMN TIME.



I also LOVED the tension and angst between Amara, Ryker, and Zoey, I really wanted Zoey to just claim Ryker and tell Amara to fuck off.

Zoey also seemed a lot more stronger and smarter in this one and I loved seeing her accepting her feelings and her power. I just hope she can find a way to still save Ryker and sweet baby Sprig.

I'm really glad I picked this series up because I can't put it down. If you love Fae, or a strong sexy Viking, or sassy strong heroines then I highly recommend the Collector series! Beware though, they do end on edge of your seat cliffhangers!

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book 10 stars, I would.
Book 2 hit the ground running and did not disappoint! This is now my favorite series.

We get to see more relationship development between Zoey and Ryker; which, I won't say how it goes here. I love these two characters though and it makes me root for them.

I can't wait for Book 3!

[Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! This book has no real slow parts for me. Between the action there is comedy. Sprig is my favorite, I love that little monkey. The end was a bit predictable, but not entirely. Great NA series so far.

[Iris Hunter (InstagramREADS) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Need more!!!

[Hailee (haibooklovers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the first book!

[Aleesha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay. I've gone from "maybe book 1 was just a warmup and shit will get better" to all out hate-reading this bullshit series so you don't have to. You're welcome.

This book is a repeat of book 1, except the setting is in Peru. That's it. That's all you need to know. Because absolutely fucking nothing happens in this book except 2 people fuck a couple times and feed a monkey.



Trigger warnings:
- Terrible godawful writing
- Non-existent editing
- Face-melting boredom
- Cheating trope

Leaving my reader's notes, I guess, in case anyone's morbidly curious. There's nothing good in there. You've been warned.

Chapter 2: We're in book 2 and Zoey is seriously still telling us she's a tough street-wise foster kid. Bitch we KNOW.

Okay, so now out of nowhere we find out that Sprig was experimented on and altered--so his true form really isn't a monkey. Rapava MADE him that way--why wasn't this in book 1?

Chapter 3: This book is entirely too short to have this much repeated info. We all know know what happened in book 1. We don't need a chapter-by-chapter recap.

"[Fae] used humans and consumed us for our life force, whether it was through dreams, sins, or sex..."

A couple things:
1. What about your blood/body? We're told in book 1 some Fae eat humans.
2. What does Ryker need from humans? Is he somehow different? If so, clearly not ALL fae prey on humans. Neither does sprig, come to think of it. So why does Zoey feel like ALL fae are predators?

NOW we're hearing about this shaman-Regnus???? Why wasn't he brought up anywhere in book 1? Ryker even said in book 1 that Elthia couldn't find anything/anyone in Seattle to help...but it seems Ryker's known someone existed all along???? So why didn't he go looking for this dude right away? Why drag us all the way through book 1 doing absolutely nothing when he knew there was a potential solution?

Chapter 4: This girl's using glamor like she's been doing it her whole life. When in reality she's managed it successfully on purpose twice. And now, she's calling it "her" glamor. So I guess it's not Ryker's power anymore, huh?

Being drunk doesn't turn you into a child. At least I can't imagine a centuries old fae viking warrior acting like a giggly sorority girl. This whole scene is dumb as hell and so cringy it's painful. This is the kind of thing I might have found amusing when I was 14 and had no idea how alcohol actually affected people.

I'm already tired of hearing about Ryker's perky ass. I'm on page 24 and it's already been mentioned like 7 times. And that's not counting how she went on about his body in book 1.

Oh, so he's just conveniently sober enough all of a sudden at the right time to pull her out of the stone's grip? What happened to him being passed out like 3 seconds ago?

Chapter 5: This confession is so over the top melodramatic. Ryker is starting to give me the ick.

Chapter 6: Where the hell are the temper-tantrums coming from? Zoey's acting like an immature brat all of a sudden and it's not a good look.

Chapter 9: Ryker in this book is waaaaaay different. He's chatty, likes to let loose and have fun. It's like reading a stranger.

The idea of Zoe turning herself into an Amara look-alike is gross.

The amount of times Ryker's commented on wanting to be with Zoey, making comments about finally they get to have sex etc...the amount of times they almost kiss but get interrupted is too damn high. He's fully admitted he STILL has Amara. So his longing for and lusting after and nearly kissing Zoey is emotional cheating at the very least. I cannot stand a cheater.

Chapter 10: Nope! Nope, nope, nope. Ryker's officially a cheating scumbag and Zoey's all too okay being the other woman. Both of these people are terrible and there's zero excuse for it.

Daniel never even came close to this.

Bitch what do you mean? You'd been in love with the man for years. You fantasized a whole life with him. Now because you're horny, Ryker's all you've ever dreamed of?

And they don't even use protection.

Chapter 14: Of fucking course there just so happens to be some ancient fae fable that implies Ryker can kill Zoey to get his powers back. But wait! What happened to this whole story line of "if Zoey dies his powers go with her"?

Chapter 15: Oh, so now Amara's magically the EX-girlfriend. When exactly did THAT conversation happen between her and Ryker? Somewhere between her smooching him hello and telling him he had to kill Zoey?

I was the other woman. The bitch. The one who slept with an unavailable man. I had known this was coming, but I heedlessly jumped anyway.

YUP. You reap what you sow.

Chapter 16: "Ryker, you know I've always been open to other girls so long as there were no feelings attached, it didn't bother me."

Well isn't that convenient? He's NOT cheating scumbag after all, folks! He's just in an open relationship!

I call bullshit. Because 2 seconds later, he denies this and she makes the statement that she knows he's loyal AF and would never. This is a cop-out. Pretty sure SMB realized she fucked up and this was her lame attempt to make the cheating okay. News flash: it doesn't work.

I am getting so sick of this stupid monkey asking about food. It might have been cute the first 12 times. But I'm so fucking over it. All these characters do in this book is eat.

Okay, so I know I'm a book and a half in right now but this has to be said: I have NO idea how the magic in this world works. There seems to be zero rules. Nothing to ground us or guide us. It's all arbitrary, made up in the moment to be convenient to the plot.

Amara's threat at the end of this chapter is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
1. I thought she didn't care if Ryker was with other women? I thought she gave him a pass to do what he wanted because she knew he'd always come back to her?
2. If she butchers Zoey into little pieces, Ryker won't get his powers back, fucking ignoramus.

Chapter 17: It's totally okay for Zoey to not know everything. She's "heard about druids" and knows about different species of fae that are totally super elusive and unique to Peru, she's even heard of this mysterious shifter-shaman Kanaima by name!!!!! She must have been the most studious DMG student EVER!

Fucking really? They don't have enough enemies, we have to teleport back to Seattle and back to the gang that tried to rape her and use her as a fighter to make money?

Chapter 18: How is Marie so calm about all of this? How does she not have a zillion questions about what Zoey is doing back in Seattle, let alone back in the gang's warehouse? She's rolling with it like she expected/planned Zoey's arrival. This is so fucking stupid.

Why are we re-using bad guys? This isn't moving the plot forward at all. We're ignoring the real plot with Amara and Vadik. And looping back to the lame street fighting shit??? Does SMB seriously know no other way to show us Zoey's a badass who can fight dirty? Was there really no other way to accomplish this???? I'm bored and angry.

Chapter 19: Not gonna lie, I'm skimming.

Chapters 20-21: Straight up skipped these chapters. We're not moving the plot forward whatsoever. I don't give a single shit about this prison-like girls fighting club or whatever the fuck. And because we only have Zoey's POV we have NO idea what Ryker, Amara or Croygan are up to. (Spoiler Alert: Nothing. They accomplished absolutely fuckall.)

Chapter 22: You really mean to tell me Zoey just transported herself back to Peru after a 3 chapter detour so SMB could show us how badass she was? And the instant it gets even remotely close to having a relevant plot where she encounters Maxen, she's just poof, gone back to her happy place? Did a 12 year old write this?

Amara just pulled the "for months now" line. What even is time passage anymore. Just a couple chapters ago, they'd only been in Peru for a couple weeks, at best. Now MONTHS have passed?

The amount of time we waste on having NOTHING conversations... We just spent a page and a half arguing about a pile of smelly clothes. This book is only 250 pages long, y'all. Between the food talk (which is the the ONLY reason Sprig still exists...fuck off that he has magic and could actually maybe be of use) and Ryker and Zoey getting interrupted when they're trying to make out, there's probably only been like 15 pages of PLOT in this book.

Chapter 24: Why are we only NOW teaching Zoey to fight like a fae? Shouldn't this have been a thing all along given she's had Ryker's powers since early on in book 1? Just in case? For basically 2 whole books now the powers she's had have been nonexistent--except when it's convenient. When we could have been seeing them, getting to know their uses, watching them grow. But we go from "no don't use them cause you'll end up taking them for keeps" to "okay let's train you how to use them."

And the training is so dumb. It's just an excuse to have a cat fight in a mud pit. There's no actual training. And ONE session isn't gonna do jack shit for Zoey anyway. This is just a time-waster.

Chapter 26: Now that Zoey has Ryker's powers, Amara's little threats to kill her mean jack shit. SHE CAN'T KILL HER. If she does, Ryker's fucked. This is the lore YOU came up with, SMB. I'm just playing by your rules!

Only 6 chapters ago, Maxen and Co. were in Seattle. How did they end up in Peru? How did they know to GO to Peru?

Chapter 27: Annnnnnd there's the betrayal I expected. Amara was always a plant. There's no real relationship between her and Ryker. Ryker's not actually a cheating scumbag! Congrats!

The tracking sticker is such a cop-out. For all these fae and their supposed magic, we're expected to believe none of them used ANY magic to do anything magical? So far the ONLY person to display magic (outside the monkey) has been Zoey. You see what I mean about this magic system being bogus?

Vadik: "I would love for your blood to water the earth under my feet. But you are more valuable alive than dead."
Vadik, 3 seconds later: "The human might have no value to me, but she stays where she is.

So, what you're saying is that she IS valuable? Seriously was this book edited by ChatGPT?

I've ignored it up to this point, but I can't anymore. These Nooooooos are fucking dramatic and so goddamned juvenile. The writing is so fuckin' bad, y'all.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god! This book was absolutely phenomenal. I still cannot believe it was the same author as the darkness series. Her writing has grown so much it's unbelievable. I absolutely adore Ryker like hands down one of my top five book boyfriends for sure. And I even love Zoey. The way she has written both of these characters with such real backgrounds and traumatic backgrounds and then how they are expressing and dealing with that trauma and present day is so realistic. The way that she has written their character development individually as well as their relationship development was just perfect. The addition of more side characters to the plot and what they bring to it was perfectly done and kept us guessing cuz you never knew who was going to betray them or not and at the end of the book that wouldn't have been my number one guess after everything that had gone down. And then to top it all off that cliffhanger ending just blew me away. 100% five star rating. Would absolutely read this book again and I would recommend the first series The darkness series just based off of how amazing this series is turning out to be.

[Sabine · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.75 Honey Pancake Stars*

I think it was better than the first book. They stopped wandering around in Seattle and now they wait in Peru (it sounds pretty random, and it is). But the wandering around happens in the characters' relationship, their acceptance (or lack thereof) of their feelings. Forward, backward, forward. I really relished that. I think that some of the flaws of the first book were much improved in this one. So, overall I enjoyed this book. Except the OW drama, I hated that.

Beware, it ends on a huge cliffhanger, so you better have the next book ready when you reach the end (I do).

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second time read through and it's still absolutely one of my favorites. I've read certain parts in here so many times, and it just doesn't get old. Zoey and Ryker are the epitome of an enemy-to-lover pair and it's so, so, glorious. Definitely still much to get through as it's not an HEA at all yet, but I love the progress. I just need to not wuss out and see what happens next as I've been stuck on these first two in the series for years.

[Swathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

AAARRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHH!! Why. must. you. ruin. things. the. second. they start. to get. BETTTERRRR!!!!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book a bit more than book 1. Sprig's character is making the story for me.

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ love the story. Just annoyed by the constant regurgitation of what happened in the first book. But I will read book 3.

[costitanza (onetoomanybooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone need to read this series! Book 1 was good (4 solid stars) but book 2 was amazing.
I love Sprig, he is so funny!
Zoey and Ryker story (minus Amara comeback) is perfect.
Also the plot twist regarding Amara was a little predictable but I forgive it for Zoey’s sake.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well then.

I am going to go slowly insane until the third book comes out

..........

*Sigh*

Every time I start reading something by Stacey I get so fully sucked in that nothing else really matters. Life outside of these books cease to exist and I am captivated by the words and story she as spun for us yet again. Always unique, heart-wrenching wonderfulness. Stacey certainly steps up the game in this book. Things have turned quite hot in Peru....*giggles* <- yeah im immature and make terrible jokes

If you aren't aware this is book two in a series. Which is a spin-off of her other amazing series. All of which I highly recommend and demand you go read, right meow!

This book definitely did not disappoint, while there was a little more "waiting" in this book verses action I thought the flow was perfect as always. The stories being told outside of the running, heart-racing, action-y parts were just as important. The growth and realization that Zoey has to go through in this book was stunning and beautiful to see evolve and change was flawless. The connection to Ryker is hotter then ever, and the friendship between her and Sprig is as adorable as ever.

The new characters are hard to pin down, and for me i knew there was one i could never trust. The other I was so uncertain and it proves that he is going to keep me guessing. I don't want to say much and giveaway the book but trust me when I say, I know if you loved the first one or even liked it you NEED to pick this one up. Awww who am I kidding, you need to pick up all her books because they are just fucking amazing. That is about as accurate as i can get.

And now I wait...patiently:


Awww who am I kidding?

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not happy with the ending of this book. First of all, Amara's betrayal was a given. I don't know how they didn't see it coming because it was obvious as all hell. Secondly, I expected better from Zoey. The way she was captured at the end was really just the last drop of a long fall. I expect her to get better any time now but she just seems to reverse her progress every few pages. It's annoying. Thirdly, the lab? Strapped? Again?? I still want to read more but it's getting repetitive. Zoey gets caught. Ryker saves her. Zoey gets caught. Ryker saves her. Zoey gets caught...you get my drift. Worst of it all is that Zoey is actually more than human now and, despite years of training against fae and having more stamina and better healing abilities, she still gets her ass kicked all the time. Despite all of this though, this story is still incredibly compelling and I had a hard time putting it down. I hope the next book comes quickly.

3.5 ★

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoey and Ryker: the evolution



therefore,


but...


as a result:


On to read book 3.