4 ⭐️
Before anything, i just want to make it clear that this book dealt with heavy topics. So, please check the TW before you decide to read it.
I want to say thanks to my friend who urged(more like pestered) me to read this because she claimed that if i love The Mindf*ck series, i would love this just as much. She could never been more right on that. I would say that it did gave out The Mindf*ck series vibes in some ways. I don’t usually get hooked from the very beginning but boy was i on the edge of my seat since the first page?
This book started strong with Sofia and Valentina’s parents got murdered in front of their eyes and that left them both alone in this world. They ended up stuck living with Maddox Brookes, the cop that was responsible in handling their parent’s murders investigation.
OH MY GOD!! I just knew that this was the first debut of this author??? And THIS WAS SOOOO GOOD I LOVED IT I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN 💗💗💗 This was a romantic suspense centered around murder mystery. I have to be honest, the writing was nothing spectacular, there were some repetitive sentences that i felt like it can be improved but i’m fine with it i guess? Because the plot was BOMBdotcom ❤️🔥 I certainly had a lot of theories as to where this would go but DAMN THE PLOT TWIST! I didn’t see that coming at all!! My mind was 🤯 when i got to the plot twist.
“𝑺𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏”
Sofia Raymond was known to be a ‘bad girl’ in the small town of Lakestone but she was actually the real badass that had reasons of her own. Despite being only 19 years old, she was balls of steel. Her love and devotion towards her sister, Valentina, was very fierce and out of this world. She went out of her way just to protect her sister. My heart breaks a little more for her each time i read about what she had to go through just so she could protect her little Rosa. My little flower deserves the whole world and more. I will always protect her with all my heart
“𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚, 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍. 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒐.
Maddox Brookes, how do i start with this one? He ticked all the boxes for being the best boyfriend, best dad and overall THE best man. An act of service king to the core! He would literally do anything in his power to protect those two Raymond sisters and to make them happy. He loved Sofia wholeheartedly. My man was a big softie too like it’s sooo adorable! Who would have thought? Also, did i tell you this man was good with dirty talks too? Yeah 🤭 I mean he got the looks, and he surely got the personality so he won in every aspects for sure.
“𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆���� 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚
This book was the epitome of a found family trope. The fact that Maddox wasn’t ready to build a family just yet but cared and loved those two girls so much like his own so naturally and sincerely told me otherwise. Sofia, who did not trust people at all was able to put her guard down and found home in Maddox. The way Maddox treated and accommodate to Valentina’s needs to the smallest ones was heartwarming. Their bond with each other was so beautiful to see. The epilogue? STUNNING. Something definitely tugs at my heartstrings 🥹
Why not 5 stars? As i said earlier, the writing was average but understandably for a debut i think. Despite the amazing plot, there were some scenes that in my opinion felt weird or did not make sense. Also, if you know me, you would know that i love me a good age gap but i have to be honest, some part of their relationship rubbed me off in the wrong way. Especially with their age. I could appreciate it better if Sofia was atleast 21.
Other than that, i truly had an emotional rollercoaster of a ride with this one and i’m looking forward for more of this author’s work in the future. I mean she should atleast give me AK’s story, no?