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The Powerless Trilogy #2
Reckless
The kingdom of Ilya is in turmoil…
After surviving the Purging Trials, Ordinary-born Paedyn Gray has killed the King, and kickstarted a Resistance throughout the land. Now she’s running from the one person she had wanted to run to.
Kai Azer is now Ilya’s Enforcer, loyal to his brother Kitt, the new King. He has vowed to find Paedyn and bring her to justice.
Across the deadly Scorches, and deep into the hostile city of Dor, Kai pursues the one person he wishes he didn’t have to. But in a city without Elites, the balance between the hunter and hunted shifts – and the battle between duty and desire is deadly.
Be swept away by this kiss-or-kill romantasy trilogy taking the world by storm.
After surviving the Purging Trials, Ordinary-born Paedyn Gray has killed the King, and kickstarted a Resistance throughout the land. Now she’s running from the one person she had wanted to run to.
Kai Azer is now Ilya’s Enforcer, loyal to his brother Kitt, the new King. He has vowed to find Paedyn and bring her to justice.
Across the deadly Scorches, and deep into the hostile city of Dor, Kai pursues the one person he wishes he didn’t have to. But in a city without Elites, the balance between the hunter and hunted shifts – and the battle between duty and desire is deadly.
Be swept away by this kiss-or-kill romantasy trilogy taking the world by storm.
512 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2024
About the author
Lauren Roberts
6 books24.9k followersWhen Lauren Roberts isn't writing about fantasy worlds and bantering love interests, she can likely be found burrowed in bed reading about them. Lauren has lived in Michigan her whole life, which makes her very familiar with potholes, snow, and various lake activities. She has the hobbies of both a grandmother and a child: knitting, laser tag, hammocking, word searches, and coloring. Powerless is her first novel (now a New York Times Best Seller), and she hopes to have the privilege of writing pretty words for the rest of her life. If you enjoy ranting, reading, and writing, Lauren can be found on both TikTok and Instagram @Laurenrobertslibrary for your entertainment.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 10,638 reviews
July 9, 2024
2.00!
“Hate me enough to make me want you.” I cup her jaw, feeling her eyes burning into mine. “Ruin me"
What a waste of potential tbh. I would say that despite enjoying the first book I had minimal expectations so I cant really blame this book being bad on my expectations because they were not high at all lol. The writing in this book was so mid like 😭 the author just went on writing the same thing over and over again until we reached the last bits which was supposed to be mind blowing but came off as too predictable. I did enjoy the first 80 to 100 pages to be honest but then the constant push and pull and the way the author filled this book with too many quotes that they didn't even hit like they should and 😭😭 I cant even start at how tropey it was like surely you cannot write all the tropes in this book and expect all of them to hit the readers the same way. It just got so claustrophobic in there that I wanted to finish it.
Paedyn our FMC 😮💨 I really liked her in the first book but I was so frustrated when it came to her character in this one, dont get me wrong I still enjoyed reading her point of view but I feared that my eyes would be stuck at the back of my head if I read Paedyn saying "I would not hesitate to kill him next time" and not doing that the next time one more time😭 because saying it once or twice makes sense but more than that and you look like a fool which unfortunately Paedyn did look like for majority of the book. It's that I thought with how things ended in book 1 Paedyn would put up a little bit of fight and she did for like 80 pages but then it vanished?? and I hated that so much.
Kai, I enjoyed his point of view as well and I did have fun reading about him and I liked that we got an insight of his past, I also liked his flirty nature and the way he would speak of her and his dialogues in general but when you're sent out to kill her and you're trying to be string enough to do that YOU DONT START FLIRTING WITH THEM but I had almost very little complaints with Kai because even poor writing can't do Kai wrong. As for Kitt, I found his pov similar to how I felt Apollo's pov was in ACFTL.....boring and unnecessary.
The plot was where?? for a romantasy there was barely any fantasy in it. Dont get me wrong, if it was a full romance book it would've been an easy 3.5-4 stars but as a romantasy it failed to deliver on anything but the romance and even a part of that was annoying. The author said that this book was a build up to the third book but there was honestly nothing building up until like the last 30-50 pages and I am not even lying when I say this this could have been a 100-150 paged novella if we keep in mind the important things that happen and if you want to add more romance to that but dont want to overfill it 200 pages at best and it would have been perfect, would have had us at the edge of our seats and would have given us some actual content in one go rather than it being dispersed among filler scenes and it would've been more easy to write and would have given Lauren more time to focus on book 3 so she could have delivered a massive finale. A little bit of this book was about Kai going after Paedyn (100 pages at best) and then it was them trying to go back to Ilya. The ending I saw coming because I honestly saw no other suitable way to end this book and basing it off peoples reactions my suspicions were confirmed so even for what most peopled saved this book, failed for me.
The romance, I did enjoy the dialogues exchanged, the tensions and angst at times (until it got too much) and some of the cute moments that they shared but one thing that this book lacked was slow burn because everything happened so fast and wasnt this supposed to be enemies to lovers?? what I read was definitely not enemies to love it was two people being in denial like the constant push and pull was fun at the beginning but it got so tedious because it was the same thing repeated until the end and I wanted scream at them. I wanted more slow burn like yes the first book was slow burn enough but when you end powerless saying that Kai would be going out to kill Pae you would expect more fresher slow burn and thats why I did not really love the first kiss, it was written well but I just didnt like how fast it happened. It could have happened later on as well. I do admit that there was angst and tension but it didn't hit me. I liked the development the character got through romance but theres this thing called balancing a book and there was no balance here and tbh if I wanted that I would have just picked up a romance novel instead of this.
I did enjoy some parts of it and I liked Kai + the fast paced nature of this book and I can see people who only want KaiPae romantic moments would really enjoy this book but honestly I wanted that but only to an extent with balance, political intrigue and a plot because otherwise I would've just read When Gracie Met the Grump which is sitting right beside me.
Overall, A disappointing experience and im hoping that the conclusion redeems itself with more Mak scenes.
~~~
Look what just came in the mail 🙈
•Buddy reading with the one and only Roxy
“Hate me enough to make me want you.” I cup her jaw, feeling her eyes burning into mine. “Ruin me"
What a waste of potential tbh. I would say that despite enjoying the first book I had minimal expectations so I cant really blame this book being bad on my expectations because they were not high at all lol. The writing in this book was so mid like 😭 the author just went on writing the same thing over and over again until we reached the last bits which was supposed to be mind blowing but came off as too predictable. I did enjoy the first 80 to 100 pages to be honest but then the constant push and pull and the way the author filled this book with too many quotes that they didn't even hit like they should and 😭😭 I cant even start at how tropey it was like surely you cannot write all the tropes in this book and expect all of them to hit the readers the same way. It just got so claustrophobic in there that I wanted to finish it.
Paedyn our FMC 😮💨 I really liked her in the first book but I was so frustrated when it came to her character in this one, dont get me wrong I still enjoyed reading her point of view but I feared that my eyes would be stuck at the back of my head if I read Paedyn saying "I would not hesitate to kill him next time" and not doing that the next time one more time😭 because saying it once or twice makes sense but more than that and you look like a fool which unfortunately Paedyn did look like for majority of the book. It's that I thought with how things ended in book 1 Paedyn would put up a little bit of fight and she did for like 80 pages but then it vanished?? and I hated that so much.
Kai, I enjoyed his point of view as well and I did have fun reading about him and I liked that we got an insight of his past, I also liked his flirty nature and the way he would speak of her and his dialogues in general but when you're sent out to kill her and you're trying to be string enough to do that YOU DONT START FLIRTING WITH THEM but I had almost very little complaints with Kai because even poor writing can't do Kai wrong. As for Kitt, I found his pov similar to how I felt Apollo's pov was in ACFTL.....boring and unnecessary.
The plot was where?? for a romantasy there was barely any fantasy in it. Dont get me wrong, if it was a full romance book it would've been an easy 3.5-4 stars but as a romantasy it failed to deliver on anything but the romance and even a part of that was annoying. The author said that this book was a build up to the third book but there was honestly nothing building up until like the last 30-50 pages and I am not even lying when I say this this could have been a 100-150 paged novella if we keep in mind the important things that happen and if you want to add more romance to that but dont want to overfill it 200 pages at best and it would have been perfect, would have had us at the edge of our seats and would have given us some actual content in one go rather than it being dispersed among filler scenes and it would've been more easy to write and would have given Lauren more time to focus on book 3 so she could have delivered a massive finale. A little bit of this book was about Kai going after Paedyn (100 pages at best) and then it was them trying to go back to Ilya. The ending I saw coming because I honestly saw no other suitable way to end this book and basing it off peoples reactions my suspicions were confirmed so even for what most peopled saved this book, failed for me.
The romance, I did enjoy the dialogues exchanged, the tensions and angst at times (until it got too much) and some of the cute moments that they shared but one thing that this book lacked was slow burn because everything happened so fast and wasnt this supposed to be enemies to lovers?? what I read was definitely not enemies to love it was two people being in denial like the constant push and pull was fun at the beginning but it got so tedious because it was the same thing repeated until the end and I wanted scream at them. I wanted more slow burn like yes the first book was slow burn enough but when you end powerless saying that Kai would be going out to kill Pae you would expect more fresher slow burn and thats why I did not really love the first kiss, it was written well but I just didnt like how fast it happened. It could have happened later on as well. I do admit that there was angst and tension but it didn't hit me. I liked the development the character got through romance but theres this thing called balancing a book and there was no balance here and tbh if I wanted that I would have just picked up a romance novel instead of this.
I did enjoy some parts of it and I liked Kai + the fast paced nature of this book and I can see people who only want KaiPae romantic moments would really enjoy this book but honestly I wanted that but only to an extent with balance, political intrigue and a plot because otherwise I would've just read When Gracie Met the Grump which is sitting right beside me.
Overall, A disappointing experience and im hoping that the conclusion redeems itself with more Mak scenes.
~~~
Look what just came in the mail 🙈
•Buddy reading with the one and only Roxy
July 9, 2024
➺ 3 stars
This has to be the longest I've waited for a book and NOT enjoyed it. This one was supposed to be angsty with bittersweet moments, a proper development that does justice to the story, but there wasn't any! Kai was basically useless, Kitt was sleepless, and pae ofc is powerless.
➳ This book didn't fail to deliver the cutest scenes ever, the dancing, the team-up, the rain scene, and much more, but IT FAILED TO DELIVER THE PLOT. I'm sorry, but the whole book revolved around or had to revolve around Kai finding Paedyn, which he did after a week? And all the struggle he did here, was just to keep her with himself because she keeps running away. ALSO A BIG EXCUSEEEEEMEEEEE TO THE ENDING *rolling my eyes rn*
➳ I was bored of the dramatics, the sentences were overused. The characters were way too indecisive!
'I have to kill him, I won't hesitate again' – Paedyn after not killing Kai for the 1000th time, even after getting 1000 chances.
'It's my duty, my mission to bring her to Ilya' – Kai after flirting and taking care of Paedyn.
➳ BE FREAKING FOR REAL FOR ONCE? 😭 I was promised angst, and those first 4 chapters delivered a little bit while the rest was just like book 1 – which had little action. It's not a fantasy book; it was normal ordinary people surviving because no power elements were mentioned here. There is no plot development in all those 300 pages. If Lauren wrote this book for Kai and Paedyn's relationship development, then she succeeded, but this brought no progress to the story at all.
Paedyn being injured for the majority of the book BUT if you touch her, she'll beat yo ass and hand it to you back... then she'll realize AGAIN that she's injured.
The ending was predictable, wayyyy too predictable that even my theories were better than it! I focused too much on details and made BETTER theories but I doubt that there's any type of mystery. I didn't like how it unraveled, and Kitt's chapters were boring, he's good but his character will either be ruined or he becomes better ✋🏻
➳ I'm giving three stars because I truly do love Kai, and Paedyn is a likable character too. They're really fit for a sweet romance book because they're the best together. Just for the sake of the non-existent plot, the push and pull was annoying the fuck out of me at one point. If it weren't for the end, I would've said that PAEDYN DOES NOT FEEL THE WAY KAI FEELS ABOUT HER. There's no balance. But yay, I survived!!
I had some theories: like paedyn's father died because he was somehow involved in Ava's sickness (as he was a healer and used to visit the palace), and the treason, the king talked about, was about this and not about the resistance. also, Paedyn might be a MIX and not an ordinary, and is somehow related to Ava's sickness 😭 or her powers were not working because of her father's ring. ahwjshs nvm my mind was working a lot but nothing happened. we got a simple explanation
KAI AZER, WHERE ARE YOU!!! I NEED YOU TOO!! 😭✋🏻♥️
⤷ CUTE SCENES FOR Y'ALL .𖥔 ݁ ˖
“You think so little of me, Highness.”
“No, I think so often of you. Which is why I know exactly what you would do.”
“At my weakest, I wish for him. And at my strongest, I wish I could say it wasn’t the same.”
“Your heart is pounding.”
“That tends to happen when you touch me, yes.”
“Because I’ve always had a thing for short hair.”
“Oh, really?”
“It’s true. Among other things, of course.” I shrug a shoulder. “Short hair. Ocean-blue eyes. Twenty-eight freckles. And”—I pause, examining her with a tilt of my head—“how tall are you?”
She blinks in confusion. “Umm, about five and a half feet?”
“Five and a half feet.”
“Do you ever have a shirt on?” I say casually, eyes on the braid I’m fumbling with.
“I washed it, so it needs to dry.” Gray eyes flick up to mine. “If I’m distracting you, by all means, let me know.”
⤷ ratings .𖥔 ݁ ˖
• Powerless – 4 stars
• Fearless – tbr
“Hate me enough to make me want you.”
This has to be the longest I've waited for a book and NOT enjoyed it. This one was supposed to be angsty with bittersweet moments, a proper development that does justice to the story, but there wasn't any! Kai was basically useless, Kitt was sleepless, and pae ofc is powerless.
➳ This book didn't fail to deliver the cutest scenes ever, the dancing, the team-up, the rain scene, and much more, but IT FAILED TO DELIVER THE PLOT. I'm sorry, but the whole book revolved around or had to revolve around Kai finding Paedyn, which he did after a week? And all the struggle he did here, was just to keep her with himself because she keeps running away. ALSO A BIG EXCUSEEEEEMEEEEE TO THE ENDING *rolling my eyes rn*
➳ I was bored of the dramatics, the sentences were overused. The characters were way too indecisive!
'I have to kill him, I won't hesitate again' – Paedyn after not killing Kai for the 1000th time, even after getting 1000 chances.
'It's my duty, my mission to bring her to Ilya' – Kai after flirting and taking care of Paedyn.
➳ BE FREAKING FOR REAL FOR ONCE? 😭 I was promised angst, and those first 4 chapters delivered a little bit while the rest was just like book 1 – which had little action. It's not a fantasy book; it was normal ordinary people surviving because no power elements were mentioned here. There is no plot development in all those 300 pages. If Lauren wrote this book for Kai and Paedyn's relationship development, then she succeeded, but this brought no progress to the story at all.
Paedyn being injured for the majority of the book BUT if you touch her, she'll beat yo ass and hand it to you back... then she'll realize AGAIN that she's injured.
The ending was predictable, wayyyy too predictable that even my theories were better than it! I focused too much on details and made BETTER theories but I doubt that there's any type of mystery. I didn't like how it unraveled, and Kitt's chapters were boring, he's good but his character will either be ruined or he becomes better ✋🏻
➳ I'm giving three stars because I truly do love Kai, and Paedyn is a likable character too. They're really fit for a sweet romance book because they're the best together. Just for the sake of the non-existent plot, the push and pull was annoying the fuck out of me at one point. If it weren't for the end, I would've said that PAEDYN DOES NOT FEEL THE WAY KAI FEELS ABOUT HER. There's no balance. But yay, I survived!!
I had some theories: like paedyn's father died because he was somehow involved in Ava's sickness (as he was a healer and used to visit the palace), and the treason, the king talked about, was about this and not about the resistance. also, Paedyn might be a MIX and not an ordinary, and is somehow related to Ava's sickness 😭 or her powers were not working because of her father's ring. ahwjshs nvm my mind was working a lot but nothing happened. we got a simple explanation
“Let me dance for the both of us.”
“Let me swim for the both of us.”
KAI AZER, WHERE ARE YOU!!! I NEED YOU TOO!! 😭✋🏻♥️
⤷ CUTE SCENES FOR Y'ALL .𖥔 ݁ ˖
“You think so little of me, Highness.”
“No, I think so often of you. Which is why I know exactly what you would do.”
“At my weakest, I wish for him. And at my strongest, I wish I could say it wasn’t the same.”
“Your heart is pounding.”
“That tends to happen when you touch me, yes.”
“Because I’ve always had a thing for short hair.”
“Oh, really?”
“It’s true. Among other things, of course.” I shrug a shoulder. “Short hair. Ocean-blue eyes. Twenty-eight freckles. And”—I pause, examining her with a tilt of my head—“how tall are you?”
She blinks in confusion. “Umm, about five and a half feet?”
“Five and a half feet.”
“Do you ever have a shirt on?” I say casually, eyes on the braid I’m fumbling with.
“I washed it, so it needs to dry.” Gray eyes flick up to mine. “If I’m distracting you, by all means, let me know.”
⤷ ratings .𖥔 ݁ ˖
• Powerless – 4 stars
• Fearless – tbr
July 7, 2024
4.5 stars✨
"I will smother every emotion but the one that belongs to her. I will love her until I am incapable of the feeling.
She is the torture I may not survive."
Wow I was expecting to rate it just four stars but then the ending happened and OH MY GOSH CAN WE TALK ABOUT IT?! I NEED THE NEXT BOOK RIGHT NOW 😭😭😩
Let's get real here, this book has been getting some mixed reviews and tbf it is not you, it is most definitely the book. It is not for everyone. If you want some advances in plot? It doesn't really do that, that aspect is minimal. However, if you want some bonding, relationship development, and angst this is the one for you. I personally, loved that the author took time to build on Kai and Pae's relationship as the way the book ended felt A LOT more impactful.
I loved Kai and Pae's POV. The way they felt about things and the action sequences were good. Kitt's POV however fell flat for me. I was expecting him to be a bit darker, but I got mildly dark at the most. But I understand he is grieving and a responsibility was pushed on him that he wasn't yet fully prepared for. I can't wait to see what he plans to do in the next book. I AM NERVOUS AFTER THE WAY IT ENDED.. HELP 😭😭😩
One thing I really appreciated was Pae's father's journal. I liked the insight and the reveal cause OH MY GOSH 😩😩 I also liked to see Pae trying to cope with the loss of Adena. Kai and Pae coming to terms that they both did each other wrong. It's underrated. To understand someone so deeply the way these two did and people are calling their relationship development as "nothing happened?!" I AM SHOOK 🤯
I absolutely ate up the romance. It was perfect. The slow burn, the angst, the yearning, the banter all hit. Only one bed and only one horse were nice additions. That one gambling scene in this kinda gave Feyre and Rhysand's throne scene in the Night Court vibes, but only make it PG13 👀🤭
One thing that I was really looking forward to was Mak's character. I wasn't aware that he is supposed to be in Fearless and not this one. I was really hoping for a showdown of sorts between him and Kai/Kitt. That kinda bummed me which is why it's not a perfect read for me.
THAT ENDING IS KILLING ME 😭😭
SCREAMINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
~•~•~
So excited 🤩🤩🤩 Let's goooo
"I will smother every emotion but the one that belongs to her. I will love her until I am incapable of the feeling.
She is the torture I may not survive."
Wow I was expecting to rate it just four stars but then the ending happened and OH MY GOSH CAN WE TALK ABOUT IT?! I NEED THE NEXT BOOK RIGHT NOW 😭😭😩
Let's get real here, this book has been getting some mixed reviews and tbf it is not you, it is most definitely the book. It is not for everyone. If you want some advances in plot? It doesn't really do that, that aspect is minimal. However, if you want some bonding, relationship development, and angst this is the one for you. I personally, loved that the author took time to build on Kai and Pae's relationship as the way the book ended felt A LOT more impactful.
I loved Kai and Pae's POV. The way they felt about things and the action sequences were good. Kitt's POV however fell flat for me. I was expecting him to be a bit darker, but I got mildly dark at the most. But I understand he is grieving and a responsibility was pushed on him that he wasn't yet fully prepared for. I can't wait to see what he plans to do in the next book. I AM NERVOUS AFTER THE WAY IT ENDED.. HELP 😭😭😩
One thing I really appreciated was Pae's father's journal. I liked the insight and the reveal cause OH MY GOSH 😩😩 I also liked to see Pae trying to cope with the loss of Adena. Kai and Pae coming to terms that they both did each other wrong. It's underrated. To understand someone so deeply the way these two did and people are calling their relationship development as "nothing happened?!" I AM SHOOK 🤯
I absolutely ate up the romance. It was perfect. The slow burn, the angst, the yearning, the banter all hit. Only one bed and only one horse were nice additions. That one gambling scene in this kinda gave Feyre and Rhysand's throne scene in the Night Court vibes, but only make it PG13 👀🤭
One thing that I was really looking forward to was Mak's character. I wasn't aware that he is supposed to be in Fearless and not this one. I was really hoping for a showdown of sorts between him and Kai/Kitt. That kinda bummed me which is why it's not a perfect read for me.
THAT ENDING IS KILLING ME 😭😭
SCREAMINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
~•~•~
So excited 🤩🤩🤩 Let's goooo
July 7, 2024
JULY 2024, I’VE NEVER BEEN MORE READY!!!🫡🗣️
July 5, 2024
So Lauren woke up and was like lemme choose violence today.
3 Stars
After thinking on it a while last night and this morning, I think I'm going to settle on 3 stars.
In a nutshell, this was a disappointing installment. I felt that Roberts relied too heavily on the romantic relationship between Kai and Pae and didn't move the story along enough. That's not to say that 3 stars is a bad rating because it's not, I did love some aspects of the story.
But it felt inadequate. Look, I'm all for the relationship between these two but I felt like it came across a little surface level and lacking depth considering how book 1 ended. There has to be a wider range between these two. Take us through it, gut us. Leave us in limbo for a while.
The anger and resentment they felt towards each other felt like a joke. Not figuratively, literally- like hehe haha. Pae seemed emotionally flat when it came to Adena. A little less banter and 'ocean eye gazing' would have gone a long way here.
The ending was a let down for me considering it's an easy wrench to throw into the mix.
I'll come back and refine this review later - kinda just throwing some thoughts out this morning.
ˋ°•*⁀➷Powerless Book 1 Review
ˋ°•*⁀➷ Powerful Book 1.5 Review
'For the reckless souls who dare to love and be loved.'
'This girl is the very thing I can't seem to escape- can't seem to go anywhere without the remnants of her following. Where I am, she is. Whether it's in the flesh or in the fragments of my mind... She is my inevitable.' 🥹😭
3 Stars
After thinking on it a while last night and this morning, I think I'm going to settle on 3 stars.
In a nutshell, this was a disappointing installment. I felt that Roberts relied too heavily on the romantic relationship between Kai and Pae and didn't move the story along enough. That's not to say that 3 stars is a bad rating because it's not, I did love some aspects of the story.
But it felt inadequate. Look, I'm all for the relationship between these two but I felt like it came across a little surface level and lacking depth considering how book 1 ended. There has to be a wider range between these two. Take us through it, gut us. Leave us in limbo for a while.
The anger and resentment they felt towards each other felt like a joke. Not figuratively, literally- like hehe haha. Pae seemed emotionally flat when it came to Adena. A little less banter and 'ocean eye gazing' would have gone a long way here.
The ending was a let down for me considering it's an easy wrench to throw into the mix.
I'll come back and refine this review later - kinda just throwing some thoughts out this morning.
ˋ°•*⁀➷Powerless Book 1 Review
ˋ°•*⁀➷ Powerful Book 1.5 Review
₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊
'For the reckless souls who dare to love and be loved.'
'This girl is the very thing I can't seem to escape- can't seem to go anywhere without the remnants of her following. Where I am, she is. Whether it's in the flesh or in the fragments of my mind... She is my inevitable.' 🥹😭
July 5, 2024
EXCUSE ME?! YOU SAID WHUT?! Who do I send my therapy bills too? Bc after that ending I need it… I MEAN HELLO?!
Want to read
December 4, 2023LAUREN YOU BETTER GIVE US THAT KISS IN THIS BOOK !!
July 3, 2024
hey quick question: what the fuck. what the fuck ?!?!?!?!?
the way i devoured this in like 3 hours and will now fall into a very deep depression until the next book comes out because oh my god WHAT WAS THAT ENDING. HELLO ?? MENTAL HEALTH ?? SANITY ?? lauren roberts you will be facing a prison sentence for this. loved this book soso much omg i will never be okay again. rtc when i stop sobbing <3
──�� ⋆⋅⚔︎⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅⚔︎⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅⚔︎⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅⚔︎⋅⋆ ───
꒰🥀꒱ ➳ pre-read ✧ ˚.
IT'S OUT IT'S OUT IT'S OUT !! NO ONE TALK TO ME PAEKAI ARE FINALLY HOME !! !! literally combusting we better get that kiss scene or else. i'll probably binge the entire thing in one sitting because i have no self control <3 LETS GO LETS GOOO
the way i devoured this in like 3 hours and will now fall into a very deep depression until the next book comes out because oh my god WHAT WAS THAT ENDING. HELLO ?? MENTAL HEALTH ?? SANITY ?? lauren roberts you will be facing a prison sentence for this. loved this book soso much omg i will never be okay again. rtc when i stop sobbing <3
──�� ⋆⋅⚔︎⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅⚔︎⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅⚔︎⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅⚔︎⋅⋆ ───
꒰🥀꒱ ➳ pre-read ✧ ˚.
IT'S OUT IT'S OUT IT'S OUT !! NO ONE TALK TO ME PAEKAI ARE FINALLY HOME !! !! literally combusting we better get that kiss scene or else. i'll probably binge the entire thing in one sitting because i have no self control <3 LETS GO LETS GOOO
Currently reading
July 7, 2024 Buddy Read with Noi and Lindsey
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR TOMORROW FOR WHAT FEELS LIKE YEARS
'For the reckless souls who dare to love and be loved.' <-- Dead
--
'What has she done to me?'
His limp body swings over my shoulder with every step I take.
'Will her grave be the next I dig?'
OMG WHATT I SWEAR IF SOMEONE DIES😮💨
--
"Go on, my Silver Saviour. Be my undoing."
This quote has me DEAD
--
I would sell both my kidneys to have this book early 😁😅
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR TOMORROW FOR WHAT FEELS LIKE YEARS
'For the reckless souls who dare to love and be loved.' <-- Dead
--
'What has she done to me?'
His limp body swings over my shoulder with every step I take.
'Will her grave be the next I dig?'
OMG WHATT I SWEAR IF SOMEONE DIES😮💨
--
"Go on, my Silver Saviour. Be my undoing."
This quote has me DEAD
--
I would sell both my kidneys to have this book early 😁😅
Currently reading
July 6, 2024꒰ 🦋 ꒱ I hope this eats 🤞 I have faith after powerful! can’t wait for more paekai tension and to see if my theory is correct! we better get a kiss 🤭 to make the experience even better, I’m buddy reading with the most gorgeous girls, ava, ella, ellie, hannah, and liv! love you girls and I can’t wait for this, fingers crossed we love it 😚💗
‧₊˚❀ ༉‧₊˚.
I just know that this is going to have the one bed trope because that’s literally the only popular booktok trope that wasn’t in the first one
‧₊˚❀ ༉‧₊˚.
I just know that this is going to have the one bed trope because that’s literally the only popular booktok trope that wasn’t in the first one
June 30, 2024
Quite simply… speechless
July 8, 2024
★★★☆☆ - 3.5 stars
i don’t think i’ve ever been so conflicted about a book. the beginning and ending were great. it was only the middle i didn’t enjoy. it was so stagnant, repetitive, and slow. i found an equal amount of good and bad things about this book. i guess that’s what 3-star-ratings are for. it just doesn’t feel right with how excited i got about this book! i’m not sure what to do.
overall, even though there were several things i wish were different, i enjoyed this!!
[some spoilers]
what i didn’t like
- the beginning was SO good and then it became stagnant in the middle.
- it should’ve been longer. 377 pages seems a bit rushed.
- they gave in to the tension too quickly!
- at points, there was too much banter. it started to give me a headache.
- the constant “i hate you” and “you’re insufferable” to imply that they’re enemies. i gave up on counting how many times Paedyn said that. they could finish complimenting each other but then Paedyn will say “i hate you” out of nowhere. it’s annoying.
- the first kiss should’ve been in chapter 46…why did they do it so early?? that was all i was looking forward to and then it wasn’t as climactic as i’d hoped. it would have been perfect if it were closer to the end.
- personal issue, but 2 scenes were copied from Tangled! first of all, the tunnel scene with the water. if you read it and then watch the movie, it will make sense. and the second one was when he cut her hair off with a dagger. that one wasn’t very similar though.
- there were typos. (pages: 146, 256) it almost feels illegal to find them in a book! Lauren please get yourself a better editor.
- no plot…it just felt like a really long buildup and things finally happened in the last 10 pages.
- Mak wasn’t in this, so what was the point of even writing Powerful?? i am actually so mad about this. why has no one mentioned it? i kept waiting for him to show up and save Paedyn or something but it looks like he just disappeared…
- Kitt’s POV was boring. all his chapters were about was him being depressed in his office. and also he literally started going insane at the end…
- it’s starting to seem like there may be a love triangle…and i know i’m gonna hate it.
- the dialogue is almost too perfect to the point where it doesn’t even seem human and natural. it’s like these characters were handed a script and forced to say these things. the conversations were lacking flow.
what i liked
- loved the fight scenes! there weren’t a lot but the longer ones were written well.
- the writing has already improved so much. i found a lot of lines that i liked.
- gorgeous cover art!
- decent character development.
- some really good romantic lines. i would not be able to come up with some of these. i need to take notes…
- the love confession was PERFECT. except it would’ve been so much better if there were an actual buildup to it instead of a ton of flirting. but it had me smacking my book, screaming, crying, throwing up. that is how you write a love confession!
- KAI. i want to say “he’s basic”, “he’s cringey”, “he’s creepy”….but he’s hot. i might be in love with him.
- Paedyn was vulnerable, sometimes funny, sometimes annoying. i’m starting to like her better than how she was in book 1. and as i said before, i saw some development!
- it wasn’t as heavy in tropes as Powerless. it almost felt relieving. the “one bed” trope was in here twice, and “tending to wounds” was reused about 3 times. it felt less overwhelming in my opinion.
- THE PLOT TWIST/ENDING. i could have predicted it if i actually thought about the plot for a second, but i was so immersed in the romance that it caught me by surprise. in my case, i think it was a great cliffhanger. i’m so ready for the finale.
i hope all that made sense! i don’t consider myself a “hater” of this series. it’s not my favorite book ever, but i had a good time. i can’t wait to read the last one!
QUOTES
“Tell me, darling, do you think of me often? Do I haunt your dreams, plague your thoughts, like you do mine?”
This girl is the very thing I can’t seem to escape. Where I am, she is. Whether it’s in the flesh or the fragments of my mind.
And where there is a flame, there is always a shadow.
She is my inevitable.
“Like hell I’m letting you sleep alone,” I mutter.
And then I’m shaking my head, wrapping an arm around her legs, and pulling them against me.
She looks at me, shocked. And then she smiles, bright and big like the night sky hanging above us.
I fear she could rival the stars.
She’s alluring in the way that most deadly things are. It’s captivating.
Kissing her is relief.
It’s a delicate sort of demand.
She pulls away, panting words between each kiss. “I hate you.”
“I know,” I murmur into her mouth.
“No”—his fingers trail up my neck to trace my jaw—“the mistake was tasting you now that you likely won’t let me do it again.”
“Jealousy looks good on you, Gray,” I murmur, my fingers still cupping her chin.
Her eyes flick between mine, full of a familiar fire. “I’m not jealous.”
My gaze lingers on her lips before traveling down the length of her. “Then you just look good.”
“…formidable. Recklessly bold. Powerful despite ability.
“I am none of those things,” I whisper.
He drops my hand to brush gentle fingers beneath my chin, raising my face up toward his. “You are much more than those things.”
“You overestimate me.”
“No. I just see you.”
My face is inches from his. “Oh, I can hate you just fine.”
“Then hate that you feel something for me.” His hand skims my thigh while the other presses me firmly against him. “Hate me for making you want this.”
“You going to kiss me, Gray, or just continue admiring what you see?” he murmurs, now running a thumb over my bottom lip.
“Still contemplating drowning you, actually.” My voice is breathy, my own fingers wandering the curve of his jaw.
“Oh, darling, I already am.” His lips inch closer to mine, teasing me. “And I’m begging you to let me breathe you in.”
I smile slyly. “I thought you never begged?”
“I’m getting used to it when it comes to you.”
And then his hand slips behind my neck to pull my lips toward his.
“Your heart is pounding.”
“That tends to happen when you touch me, yes.”
“You’re not just a mission to me. You’re not just another enemy for me to find. You’re something even more terrifying.”
Her voice is a little more than a whisper. “And what is that?”
“A need.”
“Maybe I’m fine with being a fool. So long as it’s for you.”
“The truth, then?”
“The truth, always.”
“Dont look at me like that.”
“Like what?” she asks softly.
“Like I’m worthy of being seen.”
Her lashes flutter at my words. She swallows, lifting a hand to cup my face. My eyes drift closed at the feel of her palm against my skin, the privilege to be touched by her.
“Dance with me?” she whispers.
“For however long you want, darling.”
Laughter seems to stutter in my throat, as if unsure whether it should come out of my mouth. He reaches over and gently flicks the tip of my nose, making me giggle in a way I didn’t know I could.
“Plagues, I love that sound,” he murmurs, making me fall silent. “I would tattoo it on my skin if it meant you’d laugh at me for doing it.”
He closes the distance between us, tilting my chin up so I meet his gaze. “You asked me what my favorite color was once. I’d never even pondered the answer to that question before you. And yet, I realized in that moment that it was blue.” He bends to brush a kiss to my temple, a murmur against my skin. “It is your eyes.”
He inches toward me, head shaking and eyes roaming as though overwhelmed by what he is seeing. “Oh, but you are my undoing. My deliverance. My downfall disguised as a deity.” Another slow step. “You are my ruin.”
“Call us even. Call me crazy. I don’t care. Just…” His eyes are pleading, brimming with emotion. “Just call me yours.”
- - -
i don’t think i’ve ever been so conflicted about a book. the beginning and ending were great. it was only the middle i didn’t enjoy. it was so stagnant, repetitive, and slow. i found an equal amount of good and bad things about this book. i guess that’s what 3-star-ratings are for. it just doesn’t feel right with how excited i got about this book! i’m not sure what to do.
overall, even though there were several things i wish were different, i enjoyed this!!
[some spoilers]
what i didn’t like
- the beginning was SO good and then it became stagnant in the middle.
- it should’ve been longer. 377 pages seems a bit rushed.
- they gave in to the tension too quickly!
- at points, there was too much banter. it started to give me a headache.
- the constant “i hate you” and “you’re insufferable” to imply that they’re enemies. i gave up on counting how many times Paedyn said that. they could finish complimenting each other but then Paedyn will say “i hate you” out of nowhere. it’s annoying.
- the first kiss should’ve been in chapter 46…why did they do it so early?? that was all i was looking forward to and then it wasn’t as climactic as i’d hoped. it would have been perfect if it were closer to the end.
- personal issue, but 2 scenes were copied from Tangled! first of all, the tunnel scene with the water. if you read it and then watch the movie, it will make sense. and the second one was when he cut her hair off with a dagger. that one wasn’t very similar though.
- there were typos. (pages: 146, 256) it almost feels illegal to find them in a book! Lauren please get yourself a better editor.
- no plot…it just felt like a really long buildup and things finally happened in the last 10 pages.
- Mak wasn’t in this, so what was the point of even writing Powerful?? i am actually so mad about this. why has no one mentioned it? i kept waiting for him to show up and save Paedyn or something but it looks like he just disappeared…
- Kitt’s POV was boring. all his chapters were about was him being depressed in his office. and also he literally started going insane at the end…
- it’s starting to seem like there may be a love triangle…and i know i’m gonna hate it.
- the dialogue is almost too perfect to the point where it doesn’t even seem human and natural. it’s like these characters were handed a script and forced to say these things. the conversations were lacking flow.
what i liked
- loved the fight scenes! there weren’t a lot but the longer ones were written well.
- the writing has already improved so much. i found a lot of lines that i liked.
- gorgeous cover art!
- decent character development.
- some really good romantic lines. i would not be able to come up with some of these. i need to take notes…
- the love confession was PERFECT. except it would’ve been so much better if there were an actual buildup to it instead of a ton of flirting. but it had me smacking my book, screaming, crying, throwing up. that is how you write a love confession!
- KAI. i want to say “he’s basic”, “he’s cringey”, “he’s creepy”….but he’s hot. i might be in love with him.
- Paedyn was vulnerable, sometimes funny, sometimes annoying. i’m starting to like her better than how she was in book 1. and as i said before, i saw some development!
- it wasn’t as heavy in tropes as Powerless. it almost felt relieving. the “one bed” trope was in here twice, and “tending to wounds” was reused about 3 times. it felt less overwhelming in my opinion.
- THE PLOT TWIST/ENDING. i could have predicted it if i actually thought about the plot for a second, but i was so immersed in the romance that it caught me by surprise. in my case, i think it was a great cliffhanger. i’m so ready for the finale.
i hope all that made sense! i don’t consider myself a “hater” of this series. it’s not my favorite book ever, but i had a good time. i can’t wait to read the last one!
QUOTES
“Tell me, darling, do you think of me often? Do I haunt your dreams, plague your thoughts, like you do mine?”
This girl is the very thing I can’t seem to escape. Where I am, she is. Whether it’s in the flesh or the fragments of my mind.
And where there is a flame, there is always a shadow.
She is my inevitable.
“Like hell I’m letting you sleep alone,” I mutter.
And then I’m shaking my head, wrapping an arm around her legs, and pulling them against me.
She looks at me, shocked. And then she smiles, bright and big like the night sky hanging above us.
I fear she could rival the stars.
She’s alluring in the way that most deadly things are. It’s captivating.
Kissing her is relief.
It’s a delicate sort of demand.
She pulls away, panting words between each kiss. “I hate you.”
“I know,” I murmur into her mouth.
“No”—his fingers trail up my neck to trace my jaw—“the mistake was tasting you now that you likely won’t let me do it again.”
“Jealousy looks good on you, Gray,” I murmur, my fingers still cupping her chin.
Her eyes flick between mine, full of a familiar fire. “I’m not jealous.”
My gaze lingers on her lips before traveling down the length of her. “Then you just look good.”
“…formidable. Recklessly bold. Powerful despite ability.
“I am none of those things,” I whisper.
He drops my hand to brush gentle fingers beneath my chin, raising my face up toward his. “You are much more than those things.”
“You overestimate me.”
“No. I just see you.”
My face is inches from his. “Oh, I can hate you just fine.”
“Then hate that you feel something for me.” His hand skims my thigh while the other presses me firmly against him. “Hate me for making you want this.”
“You going to kiss me, Gray, or just continue admiring what you see?” he murmurs, now running a thumb over my bottom lip.
“Still contemplating drowning you, actually.” My voice is breathy, my own fingers wandering the curve of his jaw.
“Oh, darling, I already am.” His lips inch closer to mine, teasing me. “And I’m begging you to let me breathe you in.”
I smile slyly. “I thought you never begged?”
“I’m getting used to it when it comes to you.”
And then his hand slips behind my neck to pull my lips toward his.
“Your heart is pounding.”
“That tends to happen when you touch me, yes.”
“You’re not just a mission to me. You’re not just another enemy for me to find. You’re something even more terrifying.”
Her voice is a little more than a whisper. “And what is that?”
“A need.”
“Maybe I’m fine with being a fool. So long as it’s for you.”
“The truth, then?”
“The truth, always.”
“Dont look at me like that.”
“Like what?” she asks softly.
“Like I’m worthy of being seen.”
Her lashes flutter at my words. She swallows, lifting a hand to cup my face. My eyes drift closed at the feel of her palm against my skin, the privilege to be touched by her.
“Dance with me?” she whispers.
“For however long you want, darling.”
Laughter seems to stutter in my throat, as if unsure whether it should come out of my mouth. He reaches over and gently flicks the tip of my nose, making me giggle in a way I didn’t know I could.
“Plagues, I love that sound,” he murmurs, making me fall silent. “I would tattoo it on my skin if it meant you’d laugh at me for doing it.”
He closes the distance between us, tilting my chin up so I meet his gaze. “You asked me what my favorite color was once. I’d never even pondered the answer to that question before you. And yet, I realized in that moment that it was blue.” He bends to brush a kiss to my temple, a murmur against my skin. “It is your eyes.”
He inches toward me, head shaking and eyes roaming as though overwhelmed by what he is seeing. “Oh, but you are my undoing. My deliverance. My downfall disguised as a deity.” Another slow step. “You are my ruin.”
“Call us even. Call me crazy. I don’t care. Just…” His eyes are pleading, brimming with emotion. “Just call me yours.”
- - -
July 6, 2024
—— 1.5. ✰ stars.
babe, i don't know but this book will be the main character of my nightmares the next seven business days at least.
・❥・ Mood of the book: ...I should hate you by Gracie Abrams
This was absolute bullshit.
End of the review.
……. Still here?
Well, welcome, I welcome you to the most dull and useless book you are going to read in your life, this review is going to be completely spoiler-free, since I am not going to bother explaining what it is about or go into specific details, because to do that, something should have happened in the whole damn book, but it didn't, nothing, nada, nichts, niente. And for what? For such a shitty ending? I could literally spit on a blank page and the result would be better than this thing.
I'm not going to lie to you, I'm speaking from anger and fury, because that's what this thing caused me. What's more, while I'm writing this I've decided to lower the score to one star, that star goes to Kai, because it's the only worthwhile thing about this book, him and his quotes and his flirtation.
Let's start with the chronology, the first 8-10% of the book is fine, it starts off fairly strong, but from there, up to in my opinion 80% of the book, is a continuous loop of repetitive dynamics, the same thing over and over again. The last 20% of the book, okay, the dynamics begin to change, it was also time for the book to contribute something decent, but, after 300 pages of absolutely nothing, the end arrives, the tension grows and grows and keeps growing and the moment arrives and…… cockblock.
The book focuses a lot on romance, but I can't believe I shoved this book down my throat in one day, to literally read 4 good scenes, a few flirtatious lines, and so that when the end comes, it's this absolute shit.
I think the author wanted to surprise with the ending, and let's say she succeeded, but unfortunately, not in the way she expected. I felt violence inside me while reading the ending, and.. just why, Lauren Roberts? I think she saw all the complaints about how predictable and plagiarized the book was and said: oh yeah? Well you'll see, how about... this??? The answer is NO, this is horrible, disgusting, harmful to look at.
Well, after releasing the venom that I carried inside me about this atrocity, I can return to my hiatus of reviews due to the exams, will I read the third one? Well of course, firstly because I'm a masochist, obviously, and second because I need to know what the hell she's going to do after this mess.
ೃ⁀➷ 𝓹𝓻𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀:
04/07/24:this was a whole lot of nothing!! im so fucking mad rn.
02/07/24: ok let’s go 🙂↕️ i have seen mixed reviews about this one already, i hope it’s better than powerless 🥲
' Do I haunt your dreams, plague your thoughts, like you do mine?'
babe, i don't know but this book will be the main character of my nightmares the next seven business days at least.
・❥・ Mood of the book: ...I should hate you by Gracie Abrams
This was absolute bullshit.
End of the review.
……. Still here?
Well, welcome, I welcome you to the most dull and useless book you are going to read in your life, this review is going to be completely spoiler-free, since I am not going to bother explaining what it is about or go into specific details, because to do that, something should have happened in the whole damn book, but it didn't, nothing, nada, nichts, niente. And for what? For such a shitty ending? I could literally spit on a blank page and the result would be better than this thing.
I'm not going to lie to you, I'm speaking from anger and fury, because that's what this thing caused me. What's more, while I'm writing this I've decided to lower the score to one star, that star goes to Kai, because it's the only worthwhile thing about this book, him and his quotes and his flirtation.
Let's start with the chronology, the first 8-10% of the book is fine, it starts off fairly strong, but from there, up to in my opinion 80% of the book, is a continuous loop of repetitive dynamics, the same thing over and over again. The last 20% of the book, okay, the dynamics begin to change, it was also time for the book to contribute something decent, but, after 300 pages of absolutely nothing, the end arrives, the tension grows and grows and keeps growing and the moment arrives and…… cockblock.
The book focuses a lot on romance, but I can't believe I shoved this book down my throat in one day, to literally read 4 good scenes, a few flirtatious lines, and so that when the end comes, it's this absolute shit.
I think the author wanted to surprise with the ending, and let's say she succeeded, but unfortunately, not in the way she expected. I felt violence inside me while reading the ending, and.. just why, Lauren Roberts? I think she saw all the complaints about how predictable and plagiarized the book was and said: oh yeah? Well you'll see, how about... this??? The answer is NO, this is horrible, disgusting, harmful to look at.
Well, after releasing the venom that I carried inside me about this atrocity, I can return to my hiatus of reviews due to the exams, will I read the third one? Well of course, firstly because I'm a masochist, obviously, and second because I need to know what the hell she's going to do after this mess.
ೃ⁀➷ 𝓹𝓻𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀:
04/07/24:this was a whole lot of nothing!! im so fucking mad rn.
02/07/24: ok let’s go 🙂↕️ i have seen mixed reviews about this one already, i hope it’s better than powerless 🥲
July 5, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
🗡️.𖥔˚ "for the reckless souls who dare to love and be loved" 🏹
₊📼⋆⭒˚｡⋆ now playing — my tears ricochet, taylor swift
𓍯𓂃𓏧 i can go anywhere i want… anywhere i want, just not home / and you can aim for my heart, go for blood / but you would still miss me in your bones
[COMMOTION] [CAR CRASH] WEEEE WOOO WEEE WOOO [BABY CRIES] [GLASH SHATTERING] [SCREAMS] SOMEBODY HELP [AMBULANCE NOISES] WE’RE REPORTING LIVE FROM THE SCENE…… RECKLESS SHAKES THE EARTH WITH THE ENDING- [EXPLOSION] [POLICE SIRENS]
ok anyways.
new drinking game released!! take a shot every time:
↪︎ kai talks about pae’s ocean eyes
↪︎ pae calls kai “insufferable” or a “pain in the ass” (+ vice versa)
↪︎ kai says its his “duty to bring pae in as prisoner”
↪︎ but then proceeds to talking about how he’s her inevitable
↪︎ pae promises to kill kai - but doesn’t ,, what a shocker.
CONGRATS! you have alcohol poisoning now ^__^
this book had the WILDEST pacing ever - in the first couple chapters kai and pae go god knows where across the country on a cat-and-mouse chase, then a huge chunk of the book is just them saying “i hate you” “yeah i know you do” “ok lets kiss” “ahh you’re my inevitable” …. i’m sorry i LOVE enemies-to-lovers and all the angst,, but this was just SO. REPETITIVE. ok great they hate each other but actually they don’t. can we move on now??? then suddenly the last chapter was LITERAL whiplash like my GOD i actually wanted to slam my head against concrete.
this entire 500 page book felt like a filler with almost no plot - which actually somehow worked in its favor since there was only character development (something that was so desperately needed omg) - mainly for kai and pae.
pae 𓏲 . ˙ ˖ 🌹 ꒱ .𖥔˚ “you’re strong enough to wipe away your own tears, but too stubborn to let someone care for you.”
she still irritates me,, but slightly less now. it was rly nice to take a glimpse at her past and see her emotionally heal from her father’s death.
kai 𓏲 . ˙ ˖ ⚔️ ꒱ .𖥔˚ “you cannot be nothing when you are everything to someone else.”
my lord…….. the things i would do to buy this man off the internet oHMYGOD can he just be real :”( like PLEASE. NAME YOUR PRICE 💥💳💥💳💥 he just has the hottest mouth like how can he say things like “your name seems like a good word to die with on my lips” and expect pae not to melt into a puddle (i did). 3 stars in my rating are from the way he literally carried this book so damn hard 😫 but he did have a minor flaw - like how he couldn’t go one chapter without mentioning pae was his inevitable lmfao
paekai 𓏲 . ˙ ˖ 🫶🏼 ꒱ .𖥔˚ “prove it, hate me enough to make me want you.” i cup her jaw, feeling her eyes burning into mine. “ruin me.” our mouths crash together.
this book was ALL THEM. everything we missed out on in book one, we got in book 2 - MULTIPLIED BY FOUR. WE GOT SO MANY KISS SCENES I WAS SO OVER THE MOON OMGDFJG 😭😭 the tension was absolutely unmatched. crazy. and THE FREAKIN POPPY FIELD SCENE OHMYGOD. ohmygod ohmygod !!!!!! pae and kai dance in a field of flowers, like a boy and a girl with no bad blood or history between the two, swaying in the sunset and making flower crowns for each other.
WE GOT ALL OF THIS OKAY. ALL OF THESE CUTE MOMENTS AND PROGRESS IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP. THEN THE LAST CHAPTER HAPPENS. AND WE JUST STEP 500 FEET BACK ??!?!?! can you understand why i want to shoot myself and never pick up a book ever again ? (i will)
kitt 𓏲 . ˙ ˖ 🏰 ꒱ .𖥔˚ “i’m tired of writing from the villain’s perspective.”
what was the purpose. what was the point of his existence, of his mere 4 chapters that did absolutely NOTHING to the story except prove that he’s nothing but a crazy & childish teenager? who also still writes love letters to pae??? that’s actually hysterical. this book could’ve explored kitt’s mind and motives soooo much more, how he changed under his father’s power or whatever.. i wish we just got something :[
✎ bottomline . . . props to lauren for actually coming up with an original story this time!! i really did enjoy pae & kai’s dynamic, though i just had a few issues with the pacing :] with the crazy ending, i’m excited about how book 3 will end the trilogy! there was just so much hype and high expectations around this book that made me feel a bit disappointed after reading it.
quotes 𓏲 . ˙ ˖ 🗯️ ꒱
(i really do like some of these, but i’m just annoyed at how repetitive and similar they get lmfao)
⊹ “i’ll be sure to make them pay.”
“can’t stand to see me wounded?”
“only when it’s my doing.”
⊹ “still contemplating drowning you, actually.” my voice is breathy, my own fingers wandering over the curve of my jaw, “oh, darling, i already am.” his lips inch closer to mine, teasing me. “and I’m begging you to let me breathe you in.”
⊹ laughter seems to stutter in my throat, as if unsure whether it should come out of my mouth. he reaches over and gently flicks the tip of my nose, making me giggle in a way i didn’t know i could.
“plagues, i love that sound, i would tattoo it into my skin if it meant you’d laugh at me for doing it.”
⊹ “i don’t regret it… i don’t regret you, or what was between us. and i don’t regret kissing you on that roof. but i know i’ll regret what i have to do to you for the rest of my life.”
⊹ “can we pretend that it’s okay not to hate each other in these moments?” i ask quietly, if only to ease my conscience.
he sounds as though he might have laughed if he wasn’t so exhausted. “yes. pretend.”
⊹ “but if she burns for something, she lives for hope. i want her to fight me. i want her to burn for me, even if it means with hatred.”
⊹ “if she is Shadow, then i am Flame. this girl is the very thing I can’t seem to escape—can’t seem to go anywhere without the remnants of her following. where i am, she is. Whether it’s in the flesh or in the fragments of my mind. and where there is a flame, there is always a shadow. she is my inevitable.”
++ br round two with hanna~!! 💗🧸🥳
🗡️.𖥔˚ "for the reckless souls who dare to love and be loved" 🏹
₊📼⋆⭒˚｡⋆ now playing — my tears ricochet, taylor swift
𓍯𓂃𓏧 i can go anywhere i want… anywhere i want, just not home / and you can aim for my heart, go for blood / but you would still miss me in your bones
[COMMOTION] [CAR CRASH] WEEEE WOOO WEEE WOOO [BABY CRIES] [GLASH SHATTERING] [SCREAMS] SOMEBODY HELP [AMBULANCE NOISES] WE’RE REPORTING LIVE FROM THE SCENE…… RECKLESS SHAKES THE EARTH WITH THE ENDING- [EXPLOSION] [POLICE SIRENS]
ok anyways.
new drinking game released!! take a shot every time:
↪︎ kai talks about pae’s ocean eyes
↪︎ pae calls kai “insufferable” or a “pain in the ass” (+ vice versa)
↪︎ kai says its his “duty to bring pae in as prisoner”
↪︎ but then proceeds to talking about how he’s her inevitable
↪︎ pae promises to kill kai - but doesn’t ,, what a shocker.
CONGRATS! you have alcohol poisoning now ^__^
this book had the WILDEST pacing ever - in the first couple chapters kai and pae go god knows where across the country on a cat-and-mouse chase, then a huge chunk of the book is just them saying “i hate you” “yeah i know you do” “ok lets kiss” “ahh you’re my inevitable” …. i’m sorry i LOVE enemies-to-lovers and all the angst,, but this was just SO. REPETITIVE. ok great they hate each other but actually they don’t. can we move on now??? then suddenly the last chapter was LITERAL whiplash like my GOD i actually wanted to slam my head against concrete.
this entire 500 page book felt like a filler with almost no plot - which actually somehow worked in its favor since there was only character development (something that was so desperately needed omg) - mainly for kai and pae.
pae 𓏲 . ˙ ˖ 🌹 ꒱ .𖥔˚ “you’re strong enough to wipe away your own tears, but too stubborn to let someone care for you.”
she still irritates me,, but slightly less now. it was rly nice to take a glimpse at her past and see her emotionally heal from her father’s death.
kai 𓏲 . ˙ ˖ ⚔️ ꒱ .𖥔˚ “you cannot be nothing when you are everything to someone else.”
my lord…….. the things i would do to buy this man off the internet oHMYGOD can he just be real :”( like PLEASE. NAME YOUR PRICE 💥💳💥💳💥 he just has the hottest mouth like how can he say things like “your name seems like a good word to die with on my lips” and expect pae not to melt into a puddle (i did). 3 stars in my rating are from the way he literally carried this book so damn hard 😫 but he did have a minor flaw - like how he couldn’t go one chapter without mentioning pae was his inevitable lmfao
paekai 𓏲 . ˙ ˖ 🫶🏼 ꒱ .𖥔˚ “prove it, hate me enough to make me want you.” i cup her jaw, feeling her eyes burning into mine. “ruin me.” our mouths crash together.
this book was ALL THEM. everything we missed out on in book one, we got in book 2 - MULTIPLIED BY FOUR. WE GOT SO MANY KISS SCENES I WAS SO OVER THE MOON OMGDFJG 😭😭 the tension was absolutely unmatched. crazy. and THE FREAKIN POPPY FIELD SCENE OHMYGOD. ohmygod ohmygod !!!!!! pae and kai dance in a field of flowers, like a boy and a girl with no bad blood or history between the two, swaying in the sunset and making flower crowns for each other.
WE GOT ALL OF THIS OKAY. ALL OF THESE CUTE MOMENTS AND PROGRESS IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP. THEN THE LAST CHAPTER HAPPENS. AND WE JUST STEP 500 FEET BACK ??!?!?! can you understand why i want to shoot myself and never pick up a book ever again ? (i will)
kitt 𓏲 . ˙ ˖ 🏰 ꒱ .𖥔˚ “i’m tired of writing from the villain’s perspective.”
what was the purpose. what was the point of his existence, of his mere 4 chapters that did absolutely NOTHING to the story except prove that he’s nothing but a crazy & childish teenager? who also still writes love letters to pae??? that’s actually hysterical. this book could’ve explored kitt’s mind and motives soooo much more, how he changed under his father’s power or whatever.. i wish we just got something :[
✎ bottomline . . . props to lauren for actually coming up with an original story this time!! i really did enjoy pae & kai’s dynamic, though i just had a few issues with the pacing :] with the crazy ending, i’m excited about how book 3 will end the trilogy! there was just so much hype and high expectations around this book that made me feel a bit disappointed after reading it.
quotes 𓏲 . ˙ ˖ 🗯️ ꒱
(i really do like some of these, but i’m just annoyed at how repetitive and similar they get lmfao)
⊹ “i’ll be sure to make them pay.”
“can’t stand to see me wounded?”
“only when it’s my doing.”
⊹ “still contemplating drowning you, actually.” my voice is breathy, my own fingers wandering over the curve of my jaw, “oh, darling, i already am.” his lips inch closer to mine, teasing me. “and I’m begging you to let me breathe you in.”
⊹ laughter seems to stutter in my throat, as if unsure whether it should come out of my mouth. he reaches over and gently flicks the tip of my nose, making me giggle in a way i didn’t know i could.
“plagues, i love that sound, i would tattoo it into my skin if it meant you’d laugh at me for doing it.”
⊹ “i don’t regret it… i don’t regret you, or what was between us. and i don’t regret kissing you on that roof. but i know i’ll regret what i have to do to you for the rest of my life.”
⊹ “can we pretend that it’s okay not to hate each other in these moments?” i ask quietly, if only to ease my conscience.
he sounds as though he might have laughed if he wasn’t so exhausted. “yes. pretend.”
⊹ “but if she burns for something, she lives for hope. i want her to fight me. i want her to burn for me, even if it means with hatred.”
⊹ “if she is Shadow, then i am Flame. this girl is the very thing I can’t seem to escape—can’t seem to go anywhere without the remnants of her following. where i am, she is. Whether it’s in the flesh or in the fragments of my mind. and where there is a flame, there is always a shadow. she is my inevitable.”
++ br round two with hanna~!! 💗🧸🥳
Currently reading
July 9, 2024aaaa it’s finally time!! i’ve been ignoring all the spoilers so HARD. pls don’t disappoint me 🤞
br with my angel bb rowan 🩷🎀✨ (hopefully third time’s a charm)
br with my angel bb rowan 🩷🎀✨ (hopefully third time’s a charm)
July 9, 2024
3.75 stars ⭐️
“She’s clinging to me as though I’m an anchor she’s willing to sink with.”
“He is my anchor, and I am willing to sink, so long as it is with him.”
i think my expectations for this book were too high 😭 i was hoping it would deliver, and while it did in terms of the paekai scenes (we got not 1, but 3 KISS SCENES?!! 🙀🙀🙀), that was about it. it focused too much on their relationship, and there was basically no plot at all 🫤 the first half of the book was just kai chasing after pae (he literally found her within a week…), and they spent 99% of the book 'pretending' (don’t even get me started on how many times the word 'pretend' was mentioned in this book). one second they were ‘enemies', the next, they were lovers. it was so frustrating and repetitive!!! 😭😭😭
“Your spirit is familiar. You remind me of what could have been. In another life, I think Ava would have grown up to be like you.”
“What, you wanted her to be a criminal?”
“No, I wanted her to be formidable. Recklessly bold. Powerful despite ability.”
“I am none of those things.”
“You are much more than those things.”
“You overestimate me.”
“No. I just see you.”
“You going to kiss me, Gray, or just continue admiring what you see?”
“Still contemplating drowning you, actually.”
“Oh, darling, I already am. And I’m begging you to let me breathe you in.”
“I thought you never begged?”
“I’m getting used to it when it comes to you.”
“I thought you had found your courage.”
“Maybe I’m fine with being a fool. So long as it’s for you.”
with all of that being said, i believe we can all agree that the poppy field scene (chapters 43-46) was the best scene in the entire book 😭💔
“You don’t regret it?”
“No.”
“Good. Because I’ve always had a thing for short hair.”
“Oh, really?”
“It’s true. Among other things, of course. Short hair. Ocean-blue eyes. Twenty-eight freckles. And, how tall are you?”
“Umm, about five and a half feet?”
“Five and a half feet. The terrifying ability to kick a man’s ass. Stunning smile. Ridiculously stubborn. Hair like molten silver. Quick to threaten me with a dagger.”
“Why won’t you fight me?”
“Because the next time I lay a hand on you, I only ever want it to be in a caress.”
“Plagues, I love that sound. I would tattoo it into my skin if it meant you’d laugh at me for doing it.”
“And I would.”
“Please just hate me. Asshole.”
“Why?”
“Because it is easier that way. Easier to stay enemies than become anything more.”
“It’s a little late for that, don’t you think. Fine. We should be in our way, then.”
“Don’t do that to me. Don’t go hiding under one of your masks so you can pretend not to see this.”
“You want me without a mask?”
“That is the only way I want you, Kai Azer.”
“Fine. Here is me without a mask, Paedyn. I don’t know what you want me to do. I don’t have a choice—“
“You always have a choice.”
“Not in the life I was born into. The missions I’m sent on. You.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. Something else I’ve always had a thing for. I had no choice in the matter. Do you think I could have stopped it if I tried?”
“Stop what?”
“Stop myself from falling in love with you!”
“No. No, don’t say that. I asked you not to make this harder than it had to be.”
“And I told you that it already is. Dammit, the minute you threw a dagger at my head, I knew I was done for. There was no longer a before you, only what I wanted with you.”
“And what could that possibly be? I’m an Ordinary. You’re Elite—“
“Not out here I’m not. Out here I am Kai and nothing more. Out here I am powerless. A monster without an ability to hide behind. An Enforcer free from his masks. A man shouting his love for a woman.”
“Kai…”
“Pae. I think I would fall on my sword if it meant you mourned me, and it’s terrifying to think you hold that much power over me. You asked me what my favourite color was once. I’d never even pondered the answer to that question before you. And yet, I realized in that moment that it was blue. It is your eyes. Tell me you hate me, and I’ll still count every heartbeat, every freckle, every shiver of your body, if only you say it with a smile. I may be a monster, but if you cut me, I’ll bleed. And if you break my heart, Pae, you’ll break me. So, if even a sliver of your soul longs for mine, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to deserve it.”
“Maybe you really are a poet.”
“Or just a fool for you.”
“Pretend?”
“Never.”
“None of it?”
“Darling, I have never had to pretend to want you.”
“What about our fathers? What we did to one another?”
“I won’t spend the rest of my life hating you for saving yourself. I know why you did what you did. And I hope you understand why I did the same.”
“I… I forgive you, Kai. I think I might have a while ago. Because I can forgive you for what you didn’t even know you were doing. I wanted to kill you. I wanted to be your undoing. But even then, I knew I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I had.”
“Oh, but you are my undoing. My deliverance. My downfall disguised as a deity. You are my ruin. Call us even. Call me crazy. I don’t care. Just… Just call me yours.”
“Flicking my nose.”
“What?”
“Flicking my nose. Something I’ve always had a thing for. Among others, of course.”
“Go on, darling.”
“That reminds me. Calling me ‘darling.’ Cocky bastards. Long, dark eyelashes… Knowing what I need exactly when I need it. Ripping my dresses. Dimples that make me—“
“With each kiss, he captures the three words I’m too scared to say. I hope he can taste them all on the tip of my tongue, read them on the curve of my lips. Because uttering the words feel like a death sentence. Every person I’ve ever loved has left me. I’m cursed to lose in love. But that is what I feel for him, what I’ve felt even when I hated him. Because hating him was easier than hating myself for wanting him. So i bite my tongue. I fight the urge to shout those three seemingly harmless words at him. Because wherever I love, people die. And I’d rather love him silently than mourn him loudly.”
“No, I’m sick of running. And I won’t spend the rest of my life doing it unless it’s you I’m running back to.”
“Then I’ll spend the rest of my life tracking you down. Glimpsing you in the shadows. Fighting you in the streets. Dancing with you in my dreams. Because living without you is only bearable when I know you are out there still living too.”
“You are my proof of a paradise.”
AND THAT PLOT TWIST AT THE END?!! 😭😭😭 I HONESTLY SAW IT COMING. AT LEAST KITT DIDN’T ORDER KAI TO KILL PAE OR ANYTHING, BUT STILL?? DOES THAT MEAN KITT WAS PART OF THE RESISTANCE ALL ALONG?!! HE WOULD’VE KNOWN CALUM WAS A RESISTANCE MEMBER, RIGHT? OR WAS CALUM A TRAITOR?? I’M HONESTLY SO CONFUSED 😭
”Ladies and gentlemen of the court, let me reintroduce you to who it is that kneels before you. This is Paedyn Gray. Once a contestant in the Purging Trials where she ranked quite highly for a Mundane. And to think a Psychic became such a threat to Offensive Elites. But she isn’t exactly what she seems. Not only was your Silver Savior an Ordinary in disguise, but she was a traitor under our noses. Paedyn, do you confess to not only being a Resistance member, but to conspiring with them as well?”
“Yes.”
“Not only that, but do you admit to… killing the former king of Ilya?”
“I do.”
“This woman—Paedyn Gray— has committed atrocious crimes. She killed my father, your king, plunging his own sword through his chest before her dagger through his throat. She conspired with the Resistance, a radical group of Ordinaries, helping them find a passage into the Bowl Arena. She lied. She killed. She betrayed. And I have grieved. I have stepped suddenly into the role of your king while still mourning the former. And, yes, my reputation as a crazed king has reached my ears. But I assure you that my future decisions are anything but crazed. And I will explain them all to you in due time. Paedyn Gray… Stand. You are to be my bride.”
i genuinely have no idea what to expect for fearless now, but istg if pae and kai don't get their happy ending, i will actually BAWL.
“I think I’m drowning. But not into her blue eyes like I happily would. No, I’m sinking into the floor, letting it swallow me whole. I can hardly breathe under the crushing weight of Kitt’s words. My ears ring. My heart pounds. The command echoes in my skull, though I have no idea why he would want this. Why he would want her. Not now. Not after everything. I’m surrounded by the entire court and the only thing I can focus on is not falling to my knees beside her. Marriage. Marriage to someone who isn’t me. Marriage to someone I will spend the rest of my life serving. I’ll lose her forever while being forced to watch. I can’t even look at her. I’m a coward, morphing back into the monster I was when she found me. My vision is blurry, eyes fixed on the dais above. This is how I lose her. Not by death but by something just as binding. The command rings in my head. And to think I wasted so much time trying to hate her. To think I won’t have enough time to love her. My heart aches because every beat belongs to her. And I may never get to tell her that. Is this how she will remember me? Escorting her to this fate? Bound by duty alone? I could laugh. I could cry. I could burn this palace to the ground like I did her house, just for a chance to confess my love before the flames consumed me. Because I am bound to her very being. Hers until the day she realizes I don’t deserve to be. The king’s eyes are on me while mine are somewhere far away. Somewhere with her. A place where I am nothing and no one and happy being powerless, so long as she is beside me. My gaze falls from the fantasy, finding its way to her. This is not how I will remember us. Not as enemies or traitors or monsters, but as two people dancing in the dark, swaying beneath the stars. Her feet atop mine, her head on the heart that beats only for her. Just Pae and Kai. I step away from her kneeling form, masking every emotion with a blank stare. I’m leaving her to face him. Her future husband. I melt into the crowd, standing at a safe enough distance to prevent myself from stealing her away. This will be the rest of my life. Forced to love her from a distance. Mourn the loss of her each day. But I will. I will smother every emotion but the one that belongs to her. I will love her until I am incapable of the feeling. She is the torture I may not survive. Eagerly, she is my undoing. Her gaze lifts, meeting eyes that are not my own. Eyes of the man who gets to have her—if she allows it. She was supposed to be my forever. Now I’ll watch her become someone else’s. Because the beast doesn’t get the beauty.”
pre-read 🌹🌿:
I’M SO FREAKING EXCITED AAAAHH!!! I REALLY HOPE THIS ONE DELIVERS, IF NOT I’M GOING TO FLIP THE TABLE 😭🤞🏻
br with destiny 🖤
(SORRY BUT I’M SKIPPING EVERY SINGLE UPDATE/REVIEW ON THIS BOOK UNTIL I FINISH READING IT)
“She’s clinging to me as though I’m an anchor she’s willing to sink with.”
“He is my anchor, and I am willing to sink, so long as it is with him.”
i think my expectations for this book were too high 😭 i was hoping it would deliver, and while it did in terms of the paekai scenes (we got not 1, but 3 KISS SCENES?!! 🙀🙀🙀), that was about it. it focused too much on their relationship, and there was basically no plot at all 🫤 the first half of the book was just kai chasing after pae (he literally found her within a week…), and they spent 99% of the book 'pretending' (don’t even get me started on how many times the word 'pretend' was mentioned in this book). one second they were ‘enemies', the next, they were lovers. it was so frustrating and repetitive!!! 😭😭😭
“Your spirit is familiar. You remind me of what could have been. In another life, I think Ava would have grown up to be like you.”
“What, you wanted her to be a criminal?”
“No, I wanted her to be formidable. Recklessly bold. Powerful despite ability.”
“I am none of those things.”
“You are much more than those things.”
“You overestimate me.”
“No. I just see you.”
“You going to kiss me, Gray, or just continue admiring what you see?”
“Still contemplating drowning you, actually.”
“Oh, darling, I already am. And I’m begging you to let me breathe you in.”
“I thought you never begged?”
“I’m getting used to it when it comes to you.”
“I thought you had found your courage.”
“Maybe I’m fine with being a fool. So long as it’s for you.”
with all of that being said, i believe we can all agree that the poppy field scene (chapters 43-46) was the best scene in the entire book 😭💔
“You don’t regret it?”
“No.”
“Good. Because I’ve always had a thing for short hair.”
“Oh, really?”
“It’s true. Among other things, of course. Short hair. Ocean-blue eyes. Twenty-eight freckles. And, how tall are you?”
“Umm, about five and a half feet?”
“Five and a half feet. The terrifying ability to kick a man’s ass. Stunning smile. Ridiculously stubborn. Hair like molten silver. Quick to threaten me with a dagger.”
“Why won’t you fight me?”
“Because the next time I lay a hand on you, I only ever want it to be in a caress.”
“Plagues, I love that sound. I would tattoo it into my skin if it meant you’d laugh at me for doing it.”
“And I would.”
“Please just hate me. Asshole.”
“Why?”
“Because it is easier that way. Easier to stay enemies than become anything more.”
“It’s a little late for that, don’t you think. Fine. We should be in our way, then.”
“Don’t do that to me. Don’t go hiding under one of your masks so you can pretend not to see this.”
“You want me without a mask?”
“That is the only way I want you, Kai Azer.”
“Fine. Here is me without a mask, Paedyn. I don’t know what you want me to do. I don’t have a choice—“
“You always have a choice.”
“Not in the life I was born into. The missions I’m sent on. You.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. Something else I’ve always had a thing for. I had no choice in the matter. Do you think I could have stopped it if I tried?”
“Stop what?”
“Stop myself from falling in love with you!”
“No. No, don’t say that. I asked you not to make this harder than it had to be.”
“And I told you that it already is. Dammit, the minute you threw a dagger at my head, I knew I was done for. There was no longer a before you, only what I wanted with you.”
“And what could that possibly be? I’m an Ordinary. You’re Elite—“
“Not out here I’m not. Out here I am Kai and nothing more. Out here I am powerless. A monster without an ability to hide behind. An Enforcer free from his masks. A man shouting his love for a woman.”
“Kai…”
“Pae. I think I would fall on my sword if it meant you mourned me, and it’s terrifying to think you hold that much power over me. You asked me what my favourite color was once. I’d never even pondered the answer to that question before you. And yet, I realized in that moment that it was blue. It is your eyes. Tell me you hate me, and I’ll still count every heartbeat, every freckle, every shiver of your body, if only you say it with a smile. I may be a monster, but if you cut me, I’ll bleed. And if you break my heart, Pae, you’ll break me. So, if even a sliver of your soul longs for mine, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to deserve it.”
“Maybe you really are a poet.”
“Or just a fool for you.”
“Pretend?”
“Never.”
“None of it?”
“Darling, I have never had to pretend to want you.”
“What about our fathers? What we did to one another?”
“I won’t spend the rest of my life hating you for saving yourself. I know why you did what you did. And I hope you understand why I did the same.”
“I… I forgive you, Kai. I think I might have a while ago. Because I can forgive you for what you didn’t even know you were doing. I wanted to kill you. I wanted to be your undoing. But even then, I knew I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I had.”
“Oh, but you are my undoing. My deliverance. My downfall disguised as a deity. You are my ruin. Call us even. Call me crazy. I don’t care. Just… Just call me yours.”
“Flicking my nose.”
“What?”
“Flicking my nose. Something I’ve always had a thing for. Among others, of course.”
“Go on, darling.”
“That reminds me. Calling me ‘darling.’ Cocky bastards. Long, dark eyelashes… Knowing what I need exactly when I need it. Ripping my dresses. Dimples that make me—“
“With each kiss, he captures the three words I’m too scared to say. I hope he can taste them all on the tip of my tongue, read them on the curve of my lips. Because uttering the words feel like a death sentence. Every person I’ve ever loved has left me. I’m cursed to lose in love. But that is what I feel for him, what I’ve felt even when I hated him. Because hating him was easier than hating myself for wanting him. So i bite my tongue. I fight the urge to shout those three seemingly harmless words at him. Because wherever I love, people die. And I’d rather love him silently than mourn him loudly.”
“No, I’m sick of running. And I won’t spend the rest of my life doing it unless it’s you I’m running back to.”
“Then I’ll spend the rest of my life tracking you down. Glimpsing you in the shadows. Fighting you in the streets. Dancing with you in my dreams. Because living without you is only bearable when I know you are out there still living too.”
“You are my proof of a paradise.”
AND THAT PLOT TWIST AT THE END?!! 😭😭😭 I HONESTLY SAW IT COMING. AT LEAST KITT DIDN’T ORDER KAI TO KILL PAE OR ANYTHING, BUT STILL?? DOES THAT MEAN KITT WAS PART OF THE RESISTANCE ALL ALONG?!! HE WOULD’VE KNOWN CALUM WAS A RESISTANCE MEMBER, RIGHT? OR WAS CALUM A TRAITOR?? I’M HONESTLY SO CONFUSED 😭
”Ladies and gentlemen of the court, let me reintroduce you to who it is that kneels before you. This is Paedyn Gray. Once a contestant in the Purging Trials where she ranked quite highly for a Mundane. And to think a Psychic became such a threat to Offensive Elites. But she isn’t exactly what she seems. Not only was your Silver Savior an Ordinary in disguise, but she was a traitor under our noses. Paedyn, do you confess to not only being a Resistance member, but to conspiring with them as well?”
“Yes.”
“Not only that, but do you admit to… killing the former king of Ilya?”
“I do.”
“This woman—Paedyn Gray— has committed atrocious crimes. She killed my father, your king, plunging his own sword through his chest before her dagger through his throat. She conspired with the Resistance, a radical group of Ordinaries, helping them find a passage into the Bowl Arena. She lied. She killed. She betrayed. And I have grieved. I have stepped suddenly into the role of your king while still mourning the former. And, yes, my reputation as a crazed king has reached my ears. But I assure you that my future decisions are anything but crazed. And I will explain them all to you in due time. Paedyn Gray… Stand. You are to be my bride.”
i genuinely have no idea what to expect for fearless now, but istg if pae and kai don't get their happy ending, i will actually BAWL.
“I think I’m drowning. But not into her blue eyes like I happily would. No, I’m sinking into the floor, letting it swallow me whole. I can hardly breathe under the crushing weight of Kitt’s words. My ears ring. My heart pounds. The command echoes in my skull, though I have no idea why he would want this. Why he would want her. Not now. Not after everything. I’m surrounded by the entire court and the only thing I can focus on is not falling to my knees beside her. Marriage. Marriage to someone who isn’t me. Marriage to someone I will spend the rest of my life serving. I’ll lose her forever while being forced to watch. I can’t even look at her. I’m a coward, morphing back into the monster I was when she found me. My vision is blurry, eyes fixed on the dais above. This is how I lose her. Not by death but by something just as binding. The command rings in my head. And to think I wasted so much time trying to hate her. To think I won’t have enough time to love her. My heart aches because every beat belongs to her. And I may never get to tell her that. Is this how she will remember me? Escorting her to this fate? Bound by duty alone? I could laugh. I could cry. I could burn this palace to the ground like I did her house, just for a chance to confess my love before the flames consumed me. Because I am bound to her very being. Hers until the day she realizes I don’t deserve to be. The king’s eyes are on me while mine are somewhere far away. Somewhere with her. A place where I am nothing and no one and happy being powerless, so long as she is beside me. My gaze falls from the fantasy, finding its way to her. This is not how I will remember us. Not as enemies or traitors or monsters, but as two people dancing in the dark, swaying beneath the stars. Her feet atop mine, her head on the heart that beats only for her. Just Pae and Kai. I step away from her kneeling form, masking every emotion with a blank stare. I’m leaving her to face him. Her future husband. I melt into the crowd, standing at a safe enough distance to prevent myself from stealing her away. This will be the rest of my life. Forced to love her from a distance. Mourn the loss of her each day. But I will. I will smother every emotion but the one that belongs to her. I will love her until I am incapable of the feeling. She is the torture I may not survive. Eagerly, she is my undoing. Her gaze lifts, meeting eyes that are not my own. Eyes of the man who gets to have her—if she allows it. She was supposed to be my forever. Now I’ll watch her become someone else’s. Because the beast doesn’t get the beauty.”
pre-read 🌹🌿:
I’M SO FREAKING EXCITED AAAAHH!!! I REALLY HOPE THIS ONE DELIVERS, IF NOT I’M GOING TO FLIP THE TABLE 😭🤞🏻
br with destiny 🖤
(SORRY BUT I’M SKIPPING EVERY SINGLE UPDATE/REVIEW ON THIS BOOK UNTIL I FINISH READING IT)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
April 12, 2024me saying this after i gave powerless 2 stars
__
HAVEN'T EVEN FINISHED THE FIRST BOOK AND I'M READY TO PRE-ORDER
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HAVEN'T EVEN FINISHED THE FIRST BOOK AND I'M READY TO PRE-ORDER
July 2, 2024
|| 1.0 star ||
This managed to be so much more disappointing than I could have ever imagined. I was really hoping the author would write the emotions, depth and angst well, especially after where she left off with the previous book, but she managed to do everything exactly wrong.
First of all, I found it so off-putting that they kept on bantering with each other in every single situation, from beginning to end. They’re supposed to feel immense betrayal, yet they just keep on quipping quirky little one-liners towards each other? It’s not what I was expecting or hoping for. I wanted to feel the intensity and the angst between them; not this silly bit of almost-anger that hardly seemed to matter to either of them. Their entire relationship was just so superficial, it made me lose all interest in it.
Even more: Where was Kai’s guilt? Where was his desperation to win back her forgiveness and affection? Sometimes his inner-monologue seemed like he cared, but he treated her so callously and cold. Like he didn’t even care that she hated him now… He didn’t fight for her whatsoever.
And she didn’t even seem to mind that he didn’t grovel or beg or show remorse; she weakly kept lusting after him anyway.
Furthermore, I absolutely despised the fact that Kai seemed to act like he had any right to anger. Like he was the one who should feel betrayed or hurt. He acted like she wronged him instead of the other way around. The hypocrisy of it all pissed me off so badly.
Worst of all, the fact that Kai kept putting his “mission” above saving her, loving her, earning her forgiveness, was insanely unattractive. Him acting like an aimless lapdog to his father and now to his brother was just pathetic.
I mean, this dude has been slaughtering innocents for years because… what? Because he couldn’t say a simple “no” to his evil daddy? PATHETIC. And now he’s willing to do the same thing to the girl he “loves” for the new king, his brother, just because he’s told to? PATHETIC.
There’s seriously nothing less attractive than a man who’s willing to throw the girl he loves to the wolves because it’s his “duty” to listen to his king. I mean, where is his duty to her? Where is his sense of courage or protectiveness?? Absolutely nowhere.
Is it bad of me to say I almost want her to end up with Kitt now? At least he was somewhat interesting and seemed to have actual emotions that went further than teasing and bantering. Most importantly, at least he never intended to murder her and give her up for his “duty”. Nope, he’s just straight up going to save her and all the other Ordinaries by marrying her. Like, I’m sorry, but am I supposed to pick the guy who never fought for her and was willing to let her die (and even killed lots of other people just like her) over the guy who’s going against everything and everyone to have her as his bride and do what’s right? Because I think not. I’m going with Kitt here.
Anyway, this entire book was just a giant disappointing mess that didn’t even come close to living up to its potential. The whole thing was nothing but repetitive and silly banter; there was no actual plot or any form of development. Everything stayed the same from beginning to end, and we basically saw the same scene play over and over again. It was annoying, superficial and boring.
The 'Powerless' trilogy:
1. Powerless - 3.0 stars
2. Reckless - 1.0 star
Novella:
1.5. Powerful - 2.0 stars
This managed to be so much more disappointing than I could have ever imagined. I was really hoping the author would write the emotions, depth and angst well, especially after where she left off with the previous book, but she managed to do everything exactly wrong.
First of all, I found it so off-putting that they kept on bantering with each other in every single situation, from beginning to end. They’re supposed to feel immense betrayal, yet they just keep on quipping quirky little one-liners towards each other? It’s not what I was expecting or hoping for. I wanted to feel the intensity and the angst between them; not this silly bit of almost-anger that hardly seemed to matter to either of them. Their entire relationship was just so superficial, it made me lose all interest in it.
Even more: Where was Kai’s guilt? Where was his desperation to win back her forgiveness and affection? Sometimes his inner-monologue seemed like he cared, but he treated her so callously and cold. Like he didn’t even care that she hated him now… He didn’t fight for her whatsoever.
And she didn’t even seem to mind that he didn’t grovel or beg or show remorse; she weakly kept lusting after him anyway.
Furthermore, I absolutely despised the fact that Kai seemed to act like he had any right to anger. Like he was the one who should feel betrayed or hurt. He acted like she wronged him instead of the other way around. The hypocrisy of it all pissed me off so badly.
She’s alluring in the way most deadly things are. It’s captivating. No. No, it’s terrifying. It’s supposed to be terrifying, still thinking of her as something I’m trying to deserve. Still deeming her worthy of my desire. But she’s not. No matter what has already happened between us. She’s my prisoner and my mission. She is nothing to me.
Worst of all, the fact that Kai kept putting his “mission” above saving her, loving her, earning her forgiveness, was insanely unattractive. Him acting like an aimless lapdog to his father and now to his brother was just pathetic.
I mean, this dude has been slaughtering innocents for years because… what? Because he couldn’t say a simple “no” to his evil daddy? PATHETIC. And now he’s willing to do the same thing to the girl he “loves” for the new king, his brother, just because he’s told to? PATHETIC.
There’s seriously nothing less attractive than a man who’s willing to throw the girl he loves to the wolves because it’s his “duty” to listen to his king. I mean, where is his duty to her? Where is his sense of courage or protectiveness?? Absolutely nowhere.
“One landmark closer to my death.”
I look away to the street below us, not wanting to think about the possible truth in her words. I hate that I don’t know what Kitt plans for her. Or worse, what he plans for me to do to her.
Is it bad of me to say I almost want her to end up with Kitt now? At least he was somewhat interesting and seemed to have actual emotions that went further than teasing and bantering. Most importantly, at least he never intended to murder her and give her up for his “duty”. Nope, he’s just straight up going to save her and all the other Ordinaries by marrying her. Like, I’m sorry, but am I supposed to pick the guy who never fought for her and was willing to let her die (and even killed lots of other people just like her) over the guy who’s going against everything and everyone to have her as his bride and do what’s right? Because I think not. I’m going with Kitt here.
My life is not my own. And, for that reason, she can never be mine.
Anyway, this entire book was just a giant disappointing mess that didn’t even come close to living up to its potential. The whole thing was nothing but repetitive and silly banter; there was no actual plot or any form of development. Everything stayed the same from beginning to end, and we basically saw the same scene play over and over again. It was annoying, superficial and boring.
The 'Powerless' trilogy:
1. Powerless - 3.0 stars
2. Reckless - 1.0 star
Novella:
1.5. Powerful - 2.0 stars
July 6, 2024
1 ⭐️ |
did i just do the unspeakable act of changing my rating to a 1 star? yes, i did.
to say that i am disappointed, would be an understatement.
my main question is, what happened to them being enemies?
it felt like Lauren Roberts forgot what happened in the previous book and just started writing random shit.
on top of that, the middle chunk was extremely repetitive. i felt like i was reading the same thing happen over and over again just in a slightly different setting. Kai and Paedyn were constantly flirting, contemplating whether they were ‘pretending’ or not, and mentioning horses.
instead of dealing with the consequences of what happened and was revealed in the previous book, they keep on bantering and acting as if their relationship isn’t completely ruined. it doesn’t seem like Kai feels any intense guilt or responsibility for his actions, and Paedyn doesn’t hold him accountable for them, either.
the ending was predictable, incredibly cliche, stupid, annoying, and i'm just simply furious.
Paedyn felt like she actually had a personality this time around. however, if i was her i’d never forgive someone for killing my innocent father, whatever the circumstances were.
Kai just as in the previous book had the personality of your classic ‘booktok book boyfriend’, which is fine, but i need something more in order to actually care about a MMC. additionally, his lack of taking responsibility for killing Paedyn’s dad irritated me so much.
Kitt pissed me off, as usual. his chapters were so pointless. all he was doing was being angry that Kai hadn’t come back and writing letters (?) to Paedyn. weird behavior, bro.
i’d say this is definitely a transition book, thats main purpose is to develop the characters, their relationships, and set up the plot for the finale. but, let’s be real, this could’ve been a novella, max 200 pages, as if i cut out the middle 200 of this book and gave you the remaining 200, the book would be exactly the same.
after this i do not care for Fearless, but i’ll probably read it anyways, as i’m just simply curious how Lauren will deal with this terrible ending and i’m just a nosy bitch.
sorry not sorry.
did i just do the unspeakable act of changing my rating to a 1 star? yes, i did.
to say that i am disappointed, would be an understatement.
my main question is, what happened to them being enemies?
it felt like Lauren Roberts forgot what happened in the previous book and just started writing random shit.
on top of that, the middle chunk was extremely repetitive. i felt like i was reading the same thing happen over and over again just in a slightly different setting. Kai and Paedyn were constantly flirting, contemplating whether they were ‘pretending’ or not, and mentioning horses.
instead of dealing with the consequences of what happened and was revealed in the previous book, they keep on bantering and acting as if their relationship isn’t completely ruined. it doesn’t seem like Kai feels any intense guilt or responsibility for his actions, and Paedyn doesn’t hold him accountable for them, either.
the ending was predictable, incredibly cliche, stupid, annoying, and i'm just simply furious.
Paedyn felt like she actually had a personality this time around. however, if i was her i’d never forgive someone for killing my innocent father, whatever the circumstances were.
Kai just as in the previous book had the personality of your classic ‘booktok book boyfriend’, which is fine, but i need something more in order to actually care about a MMC. additionally, his lack of taking responsibility for killing Paedyn’s dad irritated me so much.
Kitt pissed me off, as usual. his chapters were so pointless. all he was doing was being angry that Kai hadn’t come back and writing letters (?) to Paedyn. weird behavior, bro.
i’d say this is definitely a transition book, thats main purpose is to develop the characters, their relationships, and set up the plot for the finale. but, let’s be real, this could’ve been a novella, max 200 pages, as if i cut out the middle 200 of this book and gave you the remaining 200, the book would be exactly the same.
after this i do not care for Fearless, but i’ll probably read it anyways, as i’m just simply curious how Lauren will deal with this terrible ending and i’m just a nosy bitch.
sorry not sorry.
July 2, 2024
WHAT. THE. FUCK. DID. YOU. JUST. DO.
i'll add quotes later but right now i need to process
watch lauren end the third book like this just to mess with us
a lot of people are saying the book doesn't have plot because Kai finds Pae quickly, and it really doesn't have much of a plot, it just focuses on Kai and Pae's relationship
i've read too many reviews and now you guys are changing my thoughts 😭 now i'm like well there wasn't really any buildup or angst 💀 time to stop reading reviews ...
BUT this book deserves every star. although i do wish Kai didn't find her so quickly, i absolutely still loved the book! i understand that some people didn't like it buttt i love it 🥰 (i mean, my man kai is in it! how could i not?)
***SPOILER***
ALSO, i knew what the box was when Calum gave it to Kitt but it could have been with ANYONE but you decided to go for HER when yk about kai
anyways, im going to add all my quotes now but they might have spoilers so be warned
-------------------------------------------------------
"Prove it," I repeat, voice quiet. "Hate me enough to make me want you." I cup her jaw, feeling her eyes burning into mine. "Ruin me."
"Don't live to die. Die because you lived."
"Careful, Gray," he murmurs. "I was beginning to think you cared about me."
"Well, you're not exactly the most encouraging person to be tied up with."
"Under different circumstances," he pants, "I promise you I'm much more fun tied up."
"Prove it to me, Gray," I murmur against her ear. "Hate me enough to use me."
"I hate the way he's watching me, like he's ready to collect the pieces when I inevitably break."
"That's my girl,"
"Oh, sitting is easy," he argues. "It's the looking pretty part that can be difficult. Well," he adds sincerely, "not in my experience. But I'm sure others may struggle with that."
"I'm tired."
"So am I," he sighs. "Specifically of you."
"Up, Gray."
"Make me, Azer."
"Don't call me that,"
"Don't call you what?"
"Darling. That's what."
"Very good, Gray," he murmurs. "Being close to me always was the most difficult part for you."
"We still aren't dancing."
"So start leading, Azer."
"Yes, darling."
"Always trying to get me naked, aren't you, darling?"
"No, but I am always saving your ass, Prince."
"Your heart is pounding."
"That tends to happen when you touch me, yes."
"You cannot be nothing when you are everything to someone else."
"Don't do that,"
"Do what, darling?"
"That. The flirting."
"Dance with me?"
"For however long you want, darling."
"Say my name," I whisper. "Please."
"I had no choice in the matter. Do you think I could have stopped it if I tried?"
"Stop what?"
"Stop myself from falling in love with you!"
"Tell me you hate me, and I'll still count every heartbeat, every freckle, every shiver of your body, if only you say it with a smile. I may be a monster, but if you cut me, I'll bleed. And if you break my heart, Pae, you'll break me. So, if even a sliver of your soul longs for mine, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to deserve it."
"Darling"—he smiles—"I have never had to pretend to want you."
"Oh, but you are my undoing. My deliverance. My downfall disguised as a deity. You are my ruin."
"Call us even. Call me crazy. I don't care. Just . . . Just call me yours."
"Touch her again," he snarls, voice low, "and I'll slit your throat. She's mine."
"This is how I lose her. Not by death but by something just as binding. The command rings in my head. And to think I wasted so much time trying to hate her. To think I won't have enough time to love her. My heart aches because every beat belongs to her. And I may never get to tell her that."
"This is not how I will remember us. Not as enemies or traitors or monsters, but as two people dancing in the dark, swaying beneath the stars. Her feet atop mine, her head on the heart that beats only for her. Just Pae and Kai."
"I will smother every emotion but the one that belongs to her. I will love her until I am incapable of the feeling. She is the torture I may not survive. Eagerly, she is my undoing. Her gaze lifts, meeting eyes that are not my own. Eyes of the man who gets to have her—if she allows it. She was supposed to be my forever. Now I'll watch her become someone else's. Because the beast doesn't fet the beauty."
i'll add quotes later but right now i need to process
watch lauren end the third book like this just to mess with us
a lot of people are saying the book doesn't have plot because Kai finds Pae quickly, and it really doesn't have much of a plot, it just focuses on Kai and Pae's relationship
i've read too many reviews and now you guys are changing my thoughts 😭 now i'm like well there wasn't really any buildup or angst 💀 time to stop reading reviews ...
BUT this book deserves every star. although i do wish Kai didn't find her so quickly, i absolutely still loved the book! i understand that some people didn't like it buttt i love it 🥰 (i mean, my man kai is in it! how could i not?)
***SPOILER***
ALSO, i knew what the box was when Calum gave it to Kitt but it could have been with ANYONE but you decided to go for HER when yk about kai
anyways, im going to add all my quotes now but they might have spoilers so be warned
-------------------------------------------------------
"Prove it," I repeat, voice quiet. "Hate me enough to make me want you." I cup her jaw, feeling her eyes burning into mine. "Ruin me."
"Don't live to die. Die because you lived."
"Careful, Gray," he murmurs. "I was beginning to think you cared about me."
"Well, you're not exactly the most encouraging person to be tied up with."
"Under different circumstances," he pants, "I promise you I'm much more fun tied up."
"Prove it to me, Gray," I murmur against her ear. "Hate me enough to use me."
"I hate the way he's watching me, like he's ready to collect the pieces when I inevitably break."
"That's my girl,"
"Oh, sitting is easy," he argues. "It's the looking pretty part that can be difficult. Well," he adds sincerely, "not in my experience. But I'm sure others may struggle with that."
"I'm tired."
"So am I," he sighs. "Specifically of you."
"Up, Gray."
"Make me, Azer."
"Don't call me that,"
"Don't call you what?"
"Darling. That's what."
"Very good, Gray," he murmurs. "Being close to me always was the most difficult part for you."
"We still aren't dancing."
"So start leading, Azer."
"Yes, darling."
"Always trying to get me naked, aren't you, darling?"
"No, but I am always saving your ass, Prince."
"Your heart is pounding."
"That tends to happen when you touch me, yes."
"You cannot be nothing when you are everything to someone else."
"Don't do that,"
"Do what, darling?"
"That. The flirting."
"Dance with me?"
"For however long you want, darling."
"Say my name," I whisper. "Please."
"I had no choice in the matter. Do you think I could have stopped it if I tried?"
"Stop what?"
"Stop myself from falling in love with you!"
"Tell me you hate me, and I'll still count every heartbeat, every freckle, every shiver of your body, if only you say it with a smile. I may be a monster, but if you cut me, I'll bleed. And if you break my heart, Pae, you'll break me. So, if even a sliver of your soul longs for mine, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to deserve it."
"Darling"—he smiles—"I have never had to pretend to want you."
"Oh, but you are my undoing. My deliverance. My downfall disguised as a deity. You are my ruin."
"Call us even. Call me crazy. I don't care. Just . . . Just call me yours."
"Touch her again," he snarls, voice low, "and I'll slit your throat. She's mine."
"This is how I lose her. Not by death but by something just as binding. The command rings in my head. And to think I wasted so much time trying to hate her. To think I won't have enough time to love her. My heart aches because every beat belongs to her. And I may never get to tell her that."
"This is not how I will remember us. Not as enemies or traitors or monsters, but as two people dancing in the dark, swaying beneath the stars. Her feet atop mine, her head on the heart that beats only for her. Just Pae and Kai."
"I will smother every emotion but the one that belongs to her. I will love her until I am incapable of the feeling. She is the torture I may not survive. Eagerly, she is my undoing. Her gaze lifts, meeting eyes that are not my own. Eyes of the man who gets to have her—if she allows it. She was supposed to be my forever. Now I'll watch her become someone else's. Because the beast doesn't fet the beauty."
Shelved as 'summer-24-reads'
June 30, 2024⚘🌿AND THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS W/ 4 DAYS TILL OUR BELOVED BOOK IS RELEASED 🌹🌿
OMG!! he better fight for her!!! my dude is literally out for blood rnso he says knowing that when he finds her he's not going to be able to turn her in like this is giving the slow burn and enemies to lovers trope a run for its money 🤭
OMG!! he better fight for her!!! my dude is literally out for blood rn
Currently reading
July 9, 2024₊˚꒰🏹꒱ ⊹ pre-read: buddy read with rhea except she's already done with the book and i'm on chapter 4 (never beating the slow reader allegations) anyways paekai are my favorites so hope i love this <3
July 2, 2024
HOW DID I LIKE THIS BETTER THAN BOOK 1 HOW??? HOW???
♾️⭐ from me ya'll. I loved it. Devoured it. Finished in one sitting. I just can't handle the banter that Lauren Roberts blesses us with. Like the way this woman has Kai speaking has me melting. That man is smoooooth.
I loved this so much and it had so many of my favorite tropes/ microtropes. First off.. the let's pretend we hate each other when we in fact have never hated each other trope is my favorite for life. Captive trope? OBSESSED!!!! When he says "use me" or "ruin me" microtrope.. I AM DEAD. And lastly, when he counts her freckles. I am a puddle.
I truly enjoyed this so much and I loved that the banter was even better in this book. I cannot wait for book three. I am honestly mad at myself for reading it so quickly because now we wait.. And that ending 🥹🥹🥹🥹 It's okay. We're okay.
Highlights"
"Prove it. Hate me enough to make me want you. Ruin me."
"We were inevitably imperfect for each other."
"The mistake was tasting you now that you likely won't let me do it again."
"You cannot be nothing when you are everything to someone else."
PAGE 342, my favorite page forever 🥹🥹🥹
-YA Fantasy
-Captive
-Hate to Love
-Forbidden
-Who Did This To You?
-A+ Banter
-Plot Twists
♾️⭐ from me ya'll. I loved it. Devoured it. Finished in one sitting. I just can't handle the banter that Lauren Roberts blesses us with. Like the way this woman has Kai speaking has me melting. That man is smoooooth.
I loved this so much and it had so many of my favorite tropes/ microtropes. First off.. the let's pretend we hate each other when we in fact have never hated each other trope is my favorite for life. Captive trope? OBSESSED!!!! When he says "use me" or "ruin me" microtrope.. I AM DEAD. And lastly, when he counts her freckles. I am a puddle.
I truly enjoyed this so much and I loved that the banter was even better in this book. I cannot wait for book three. I am honestly mad at myself for reading it so quickly because now we wait.. And that ending 🥹🥹🥹🥹 It's okay. We're okay.
Highlights"
"Prove it. Hate me enough to make me want you. Ruin me."
"We were inevitably imperfect for each other."
"The mistake was tasting you now that you likely won't let me do it again."
"You cannot be nothing when you are everything to someone else."
PAGE 342, my favorite page forever 🥹🥹🥹
-YA Fantasy
-Captive
-Hate to Love
-Forbidden
-Who Did This To You?
-A+ Banter
-Plot Twists
July 9, 2024
“I want her to burn for me, even if it means with hatred.”
Conflicted is the word of the day. Once again another author has fell into the "second book syndrome" hole and I am left feeling cheated. So far my most anticipated reads have been just meh....and I am so sad about it. 😭😭
"For the reckless souls who dare to love and be loved."
Things I Loved
⭐Banter of course
⭐I love that they brought Abigail back to this book
⭐More back story of Kai and Paedyn
Things I Didn't Like
😤The use of the word "pretend" 61 times
😤 The Kitt Chapters
😤The sewer scene was gross
😤No mention of a certain character
😤This "OMG ending" was not even that suprising.
"If betrayal was a weapon, he bestowed it upon me that day, driving the blunt blade through my broken heart."
"Tell me, darling, do you think of me often?"
"Do I haunt your dreams, plague your thoughts, like you do mine?"
"I pressed a calloused palm to the stubborn beat of my heart, proof that broken things can still serve a purpose."
"You're afraid of me."
"I'd be a fool not to fear something so fierce."
"At my weakest, I wish for him. And at my strongest, I wish I could say it wasn't the same."
"Your name sounds like a good word to die with on my lips."
"Possessive are we?"
"I chained you to me. What do you think"
❤️Buddy Reading With My Beautiful Bella and Noi❤️
HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!!✨✨✨
"What has she done to me?'
His limp body swings over my shoulder with every step I take.
'Will her grave be the next I dig?"
Lauren Roberts please do not dissapoint me! Do not give me "second book syndrome" I am begging you!!!!🤞😘
July 5, 2024
i have no words to describe how stupid that ending is and how excruciatingly boring this entire book was. i would’ve have way more fun watching paint dry for 48 hours straight.
July 9, 2024
˗ˏˋ 3 / 5 ★’s ´ˎ˗
So… this book was supposed to be Reckless or Useless? Because it didn’t add anything new to the plot. I’m no expert on fantasy books, but isn’t this book supposed to have some of it? Where was it? We just got little crumbs of it with no special meaning.
────── ⋆⋅🥀⋅⋆ ──────
I enjoyed this book and its vibes. But after Powerless, my expectations were too high. They were crushed after I finished this book. No, let me rephrase that- they were crushed since I was halfway through the book. It started and finished well, don’t get me wrong. But in the middle, it was so boring, and took me forever to finish. I loved the cute scenes of Pae and Kai, and the development of their relationship. All their banter, fights, flirting, and falling in love. But all these things are good in a balance, you know? Not in the messy way shown in this book. They hated each other one second and were flirting the next, and so on. It got so repetitive and meaningless. Also, Kai was a hypocrite. He continually blamed Pae for killing the king and labeled her as a criminal even after learning that he also killed her father. He acted like she was the only one who did anything wrong, and I hated that. I hated that he didn’t fight FOR her, and he only focused on fulfilling his mission of bringing her back to the Kingdom.
I needed something more. I don’t know what, but something that would keep me more captivated.
About the plot: what plot? *I’m still looking for it* The plot in this book was nonexistent. All we got was the timeline of Kai’s journey dragging Pae back to Ilya. There was nothing new. Nothing. Nada. That's why I liked Kitt's chapters because they told us some details that maybe will be delved into in the next book. Things like:
➴ did Callum betray the Resistance? did he control the previous king or is he controlling Kitt in some way? does he know anything about Pae (her biological parents or something like that)? what is he planning? because I have a feeling that he’s up to something.
➴ what is the purpose of what Kitt does? revenge or something else?
So many questions that this book didn’t answer.
By the way, are you telling me that the resistance was destroyed? just like that? I don’t know if I should cry or laugh.
Also, I’m so sad because we didn’t see Mak😫 where is he? What was the point of introducing him in Powerful and mentioning that he's one of the most powerful elites if you’re not going to use such a great character? I feel scammed by this. Lauren better introduce him in the next book because his quality would be a perfect addition to the plot.
If you know me, you probably know I’ve been totally obsessed with Kai since I read Powerless. I loved him and I still do. The thing is, he needs to put on some pants and do something. He needs to stop being a coward. He just does what he’s told to do, and he doesn’t even TRY to fight for the things/people/future that he wants/loves. And this was so frustrating. I know that all this is because of his duty, his mission, and all that. But seriously? I was so tired of him and his “pretend”. If I read that word one more time, I was going to throw the book away and not even bother picking it up again.
He needs to learn to speak up for himself and how to fight FOR the woman he loves. Because he loves her, but then he proceeds to take her to the king for a punishment that could have been death, and he just accepts it and does nothing to stop it? Uh? THIS IS NOT THE KAI I FELL FOR. If you love someone you do everything for them. You fight to be with them, or AT LEAST you think so. You’re supposed to do everything in your power to be together. Did he do that in this book? No, he didn’t. He just accepted their fate and didn’t even bother trying anything until the very end. And that was before they met the king and the famous plot twist happened. And what did he do there? He just gave up and accepted that they couldn’t be together. DUDE- didn’t you tell her like 5 minutes before that you were going to try to fix everything so you could be together? have you already forgotten about that? UGH. I really hope this mentality of his changes in Fearless because I can’t handle it anymore.
Our reckless and fearless queen Pae✨ I loved her in this book. I loved her badass side as I also liked her vulnerable side. She was willing to sacrifice everything for Kai’s well-being, and this is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. She wanted his well-being, but he was leading her to her unknown fate and possible death after all the suffering she went through. Ouch? She also frustrated me so much. She also wanted to kill Kai, and she kept telling herself this and even tried to do it. But of course, her feelings towards him didn’t allow it. And this game of hating and loving each other was great at first, but there came a point where it became boring. Couldn't something else happen besides this repetitive game? This is the result of the lack of plot. Although I loved the sweet scenes of their relationship, I needed more action and drama. Again: some balance.
I know there needs to be a plot twist, and honestly? I kind of like what happened at the end because FINALLY, SOMETHING INTERESTING HAPPENED. But still… HOW DARED HE DO THAT when he KNEW the history and feelings his brother had/has for Pae? I felt betrayed that he did this to Kai. I mean, there must be a logical explanation, right? Maybe because he felt betrayed and all that stuff by her and is planning something big? Maybe Callum is controlling him somehow? Or maybe he’s planning something for the kingdom- uniting the elites and the ordinary? I honestly don’t know.
Also, I don’t think this is a love triangle because in Powerless (for me) the only “connection” Pae made with Kitt was totally like a friendship. She liked him but as a friend. At no point did she show him that she was interested in him romantically and now she loves Kai. So, all this drama is coming from Kitt’s side. He is confused about his feelings, and the grief and betrayal affected him greatly. I don’t know what he wants or expects to happen, so I can’t wait to read more about it in the third book. Because… the marriage can’t happen. Right!? I’m team Kai+Pae. They MUST be an endgame. And Kitt deserves his happy ending (not with Pae, duh). I loved him in Powerless, and I still like him (but I don’t justify his actions).
IN LENNY WE TRUST!
I absolutely loved him! He’s such a cute, funny, spontaneous, and lovable character. I wasn’t expecting him to rescue her in this book, and I loved when he showed up. I need to know more about him✨ in the bonus scenes, he said he’s going to save the princess (aka Pae), and I can’t wait for it🛐 I need to see more of this cute friendship.
────── ⋆⋅🥀⋅⋆ ──────
❥ Many quotes just because I love them ✨
────── ⋆⋅🥀⋅⋆ ──────
Anyways💜🦋 it’s a good book, but not THAT good like Powerless is. I loved and enjoyed some scenes, while others frustrated, angered, and bored me to death. I just really hope that Fearless has what this book is lacking: a deeper plot. More action, drama, courage, etc.
────── ⋆⋅🥀⋅⋆ ──────
˚˖𓍢ִ໋🥀 ·˚ pre-read ˚ · ˖
“For the reckless souls who dare to love and be loved”
I’ve been waiting for this book for ages🖤 I'm so excited to read it! let’s go, baby! <3
So… this book was supposed to be Reckless or Useless? Because it didn’t add anything new to the plot. I’m no expert on fantasy books, but isn’t this book supposed to have some of it? Where was it? We just got little crumbs of it with no special meaning.
𓏲 ₊♡𓂃There is such beauty in resilience, in the ability to laugh despite it all.⋆𓂃ִֶָ ⊹˚
⚔️𝓛𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 & 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓐𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓭⚔️
────── ⋆⋅🥀⋅⋆ ──────
❥𝓜𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼💭 ˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹
I enjoyed this book and its vibes. But after Powerless, my expectations were too high. They were crushed after I finished this book. No, let me rephrase that- they were crushed since I was halfway through the book. It started and finished well, don’t get me wrong. But in the middle, it was so boring, and took me forever to finish. I loved the cute scenes of Pae and Kai, and the development of their relationship. All their banter, fights, flirting, and falling in love. But all these things are good in a balance, you know? Not in the messy way shown in this book. They hated each other one second and were flirting the next, and so on. It got so repetitive and meaningless. Also, Kai was a hypocrite. He continually blamed Pae for killing the king and labeled her as a criminal even after learning that he also killed her father. He acted like she was the only one who did anything wrong, and I hated that. I hated that he didn’t fight FOR her, and he only focused on fulfilling his mission of bringing her back to the Kingdom.
I needed something more. I don’t know what, but something that would keep me more captivated.
About the plot: what plot? *I’m still looking for it* The plot in this book was nonexistent. All we got was the timeline of Kai’s journey dragging Pae back to Ilya. There was nothing new. Nothing. Nada. That's why I liked Kitt's chapters because they told us some details that maybe will be delved into in the next book. Things like:
➴ did Callum betray the Resistance? did he control the previous king or is he controlling Kitt in some way? does he know anything about Pae (her biological parents or something like that)? what is he planning? because I have a feeling that he’s up to something.
➴ what is the purpose of what Kitt does? revenge or something else?
So many questions that this book didn’t answer.
By the way, are you telling me that the resistance was destroyed? just like that? I don’t know if I should cry or laugh.
Also, I’m so sad because we didn’t see Mak😫 where is he? What was the point of introducing him in Powerful and mentioning that he's one of the most powerful elites if you’re not going to use such a great character? I feel scammed by this. Lauren better introduce him in the next book because his quality would be a perfect addition to the plot.
❥𝓚𝓪𝓲🖤˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹
🌹Her laugh alone could cure the most corrupted parts of me, and that is exactly what it's done since the day I met her.🌹
If you know me, you probably know I’ve been totally obsessed with Kai since I read Powerless. I loved him and I still do. The thing is, he needs to put on some pants and do something. He needs to stop being a coward. He just does what he’s told to do, and he doesn’t even TRY to fight for the things/people/future that he wants/loves. And this was so frustrating. I know that all this is because of his duty, his mission, and all that. But seriously? I was so tired of him and his “pretend”. If I read that word one more time, I was going to throw the book away and not even bother picking it up again.
He needs to learn to speak up for himself and how to fight FOR the woman he loves. Because he loves her, but then he proceeds to take her to the king for a punishment that could have been death, and he just accepts it and does nothing to stop it? Uh? THIS IS NOT THE KAI I FELL FOR. If you love someone you do everything for them. You fight to be with them, or AT LEAST you think so. You’re supposed to do everything in your power to be together. Did he do that in this book? No, he didn’t. He just accepted their fate and didn’t even bother trying anything until the very end. And that was before they met the king and the famous plot twist happened. And what did he do there? He just gave up and accepted that they couldn’t be together. DUDE- didn’t you tell her like 5 minutes before that you were going to try to fix everything so you could be together? have you already forgotten about that? UGH. I really hope this mentality of his changes in Fearless because I can’t handle it anymore.
❥ 𝓟𝓪𝓮💙 ˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹
🍃He is my anchor, and I am willing to sink, so long as it is with him.🍃
Our reckless and fearless queen Pae✨ I loved her in this book. I loved her badass side as I also liked her vulnerable side. She was willing to sacrifice everything for Kai’s well-being, and this is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. She wanted his well-being, but he was leading her to her unknown fate and possible death after all the suffering she went through. Ouch? She also frustrated me so much. She also wanted to kill Kai, and she kept telling herself this and even tried to do it. But of course, her feelings towards him didn’t allow it. And this game of hating and loving each other was great at first, but there came a point where it became boring. Couldn't something else happen besides this repetitive game? This is the result of the lack of plot. Although I loved the sweet scenes of their relationship, I needed more action and drama. Again: some balance.
❥𝓚𝓲𝓽𝓽💛˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹
I know there needs to be a plot twist, and honestly? I kind of like what happened at the end because FINALLY, SOMETHING INTERESTING HAPPENED. But still… HOW DARED HE DO THAT when he KNEW the history and feelings his brother had/has for Pae? I felt betrayed that he did this to Kai. I mean, there must be a logical explanation, right? Maybe because he felt betrayed and all that stuff by her and is planning something big? Maybe Callum is controlling him somehow? Or maybe he’s planning something for the kingdom- uniting the elites and the ordinary? I honestly don’t know.
Also, I don’t think this is a love triangle because in Powerless (for me) the only “connection” Pae made with Kitt was totally like a friendship. She liked him but as a friend. At no point did she show him that she was interested in him romantically and now she loves Kai. So, all this drama is coming from Kitt’s side. He is confused about his feelings, and the grief and betrayal affected him greatly. I don’t know what he wants or expects to happen, so I can’t wait to read more about it in the third book. Because… the marriage can’t happen. Right!? I’m team Kai+Pae. They MUST be an endgame. And Kitt deserves his happy ending (not with Pae, duh). I loved him in Powerless, and I still like him (but I don’t justify his actions).
❥𝓛𝓮𝓷𝓷𝔂❤️˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹
IN LENNY WE TRUST!
I absolutely loved him! He’s such a cute, funny, spontaneous, and lovable character. I wasn’t expecting him to rescue her in this book, and I loved when he showed up. I need to know more about him✨ in the bonus scenes, he said he’s going to save the princess (aka Pae), and I can’t wait for it🛐 I need to see more of this cute friendship.
────── ⋆⋅🥀⋅⋆ ──────
❥ Many quotes just because I love them ✨
If she is Shadow, then I am Flame.
This girl is the very thing I can't seem to escape- can't seem to go anywhere without the remnants of her following. Where I am, she is. Whether it's in the flesh or in the fragments of my mind.
And where there is a flame, there is always a shadow.
She is my inevitable.
“I'm sick of running. And I won't spend the rest of my life doing it unless it's you I'm running back to.”
“Then I'll spend the rest of my life tracking you down,” he says quietly. “Glimpsing you in the shadows. Fighting you in the streets. Dancing with you in my dreams. Because living without you is only bearable when I know you are out there still living too.”
I used to welcome the idea of drowning in those blue eyes of hers. But now, seeing the disdain she stares me down with, I realize that drowning alone wasn't what I craved, but sinking together.
“Out here I am Kai and nothing more.” His throat bobs. “Out here I am powerless. A monster without an ability to hide behind. An Enforcer free from his masks. A man shouting his love for a woman.”
He continues to kiss my thumb, helping me wipe away every tear decorating my face. My eyes are puffy, face splotchy, but he looks at me with a reverence reserved for religion.
But I'm tired of breaking. Tired of having to lug around pieces of myself that I'm too tired to fit back together.
“Dammit, the minute you threw a dagger at my head, I knew I was done for. There was no longer a before you, only what I wanted with you.”
He's hurt. And I hate it.
That realization might just anger me more.
Because it is then that I understand just how terribly I will hurt anyone who dares hurt him.
Because, despite it all, I've come to realize that there is little I wouldn't sacrifice for him.
“Prove it to me, Gray,” I murmur against her ear. “Hate me enough to use me.”
“Touch her again,” he snarls, voice low, “and I'll slit your throat. She's mine.”
“Do I haunt your dreams, plague your thoughts, like you do mine?”
“Go on, my Silver Savior,” he muses bitterly. “Be my undoing.”
Seeing her enjoy life makes surviving mine suddenly worth it.
She tastes like a piece of the heaven I won't be going to.
We were inevitably imperfect for each other.
Kissing her is relief.
It's a delicate sort of demand.
She was supposed to be my forever.
Now I'll watch her become someone else's.
Because the beast doesn't get the beauty.
────── ⋆⋅🥀⋅⋆ ──────
Anyways💜🦋 it’s a good book, but not THAT good like Powerless is. I loved and enjoyed some scenes, while others frustrated, angered, and bored me to death. I just really hope that Fearless has what this book is lacking: a deeper plot. More action, drama, courage, etc.
𓏲 ₊♡𓂃This is not how I will remember us. Not as enemies or traitors or monsters, but as two people dancing in the dark, swaying beneath the stars. Her feet atop mine, her head on the heart that beats only for her.
Just Pae and Kai.⋆𓂃ִֶָ ⊹˚
────── ⋆⋅🥀⋅⋆ ──────
˚˖𓍢ִ໋🥀 ·˚ pre-read ˚ · ˖
“For the reckless souls who dare to love and be loved”
I’ve been waiting for this book for ages🖤 I'm so excited to read it! let’s go, baby! <3
July 6, 2024
୨୧ ꒰📖🗡️꒱ reckless
⤿ major spoilers for the first book- powerless!
⟢ i love you.
──── no one say the word 'pretend' around me for 3-5 business years tyvm
°˖➴ reckless is the second book in the powerless trilogy. we end powerless with kai and paedyn hating each other. pae running from kai while its his mission to kill her. thats really all i can say without giving spoilers 💔
ʚɞ ⁺˖ ⸝⸝
pae: i loved paedyn in the first book and i love her in this one too. i think we got to see more of her character bcs we got to see the independence she has thats always talked abt. we got to see how strong she was on her own and i really liked that. we also got to see how the death of her father and adena affected her.
kai: erm again, no criticism. i love him. also, we got to see more of his past and i thought that helped add a lot to the story and js him as a character. anyway, ily kai #kaiiwantyou #kaiillmarryyou #imjsagirl 🎀
...
°˖➴ i think that the writing was better than in the first book. you could see laurens improvements imo. tbh, i have liked the writing since powerless, but, obviously, it wasnt the best since powerless was laurens debut novel. there were a lot less grammatical errors. i honestly didnt catch any this time but i know others did, and for that i have to say, lauren, please get a new editor 🙏 u deserve a better one bbs.
⸝⸝⸝ ·········
songs ✩♬ ₊˚.
◎︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||| 0:10
- i should hate you by gracie abrams
- i know it wont work by gracie abrams
- i love you, im sorry by gracie abrams
⸝⸝⸝ ·········
note: i wanted to let you all know that this will be the last review i write for a while. this is bcs i am going on vacation in a few days and will not be on goodreads for three weeks. i promise i will get on once every few days to interact and update my reading progress, but no reviews, so sorry 😅 <33
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
pre-review: im On my way! to murder kitt 🤗 (rtc)
ᝰ.ᐟ pre-read: OMG OMG OMG I JS GOT THIS AT TARGET I CANT WAIT TO START OMG OMGGGG
tbr-review: just finished the first one and OMG that ending?!? i need this book rn please🤗🎀🎀
જ⁀➴ 6 stars!! ☆
⤿ major spoilers for the first book- powerless!
⟢ i love you.
──── no one say the word 'pretend' around me for 3-5 business years tyvm
°˖➴ reckless is the second book in the powerless trilogy. we end powerless with kai and paedyn hating each other. pae running from kai while its his mission to kill her. thats really all i can say without giving spoilers 💔
°˖➴ if the six stars wasnt enough, i loved this. i think that it was better than powerless tbh, and powerless is my favorite book of all time. the writing in this had improved, less tropey, less grammatical errors. i also thought that this was js sm better book as a whole. a lot of things were explained and make more sense now. also, the ending absolutely crushed me. i dm'd lauren roberts on instagram asking her why she would torture us with an ending like that.
ʚɞ ⁺˖ ⸝⸝
pae: i loved paedyn in the first book and i love her in this one too. i think we got to see more of her character bcs we got to see the independence she has thats always talked abt. we got to see how strong she was on her own and i really liked that. we also got to see how the death of her father and adena affected her.
kai: erm again, no criticism. i love him. also, we got to see more of his past and i thought that helped add a lot to the story and js him as a character. anyway, ily kai #kaiiwantyou #kaiillmarryyou #imjsagirl 🎀
...
°˖➴ i think that the writing was better than in the first book. you could see laurens improvements imo. tbh, i have liked the writing since powerless, but, obviously, it wasnt the best since powerless was laurens debut novel. there were a lot less grammatical errors. i honestly didnt catch any this time but i know others did, and for that i have to say, lauren, please get a new editor 🙏 u deserve a better one bbs.
⸝⸝⸝ ·········
songs ✩♬ ₊˚.
◎︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||| 0:10
- i should hate you by gracie abrams
- i know it wont work by gracie abrams
- i love you, im sorry by gracie abrams
⸝⸝⸝ ·········
note: i wanted to let you all know that this will be the last review i write for a while. this is bcs i am going on vacation in a few days and will not be on goodreads for three weeks. i promise i will get on once every few days to interact and update my reading progress, but no reviews, so sorry 😅 <33
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
pre-review: im On my way! to murder kitt 🤗 (rtc)
ᝰ.ᐟ pre-read: OMG OMG OMG I JS GOT THIS AT TARGET I CANT WAIT TO START OMG OMGGGG
tbr-review: just finished the first one and OMG that ending?!? i need this book rn please🤗🎀🎀
July 4, 2024
Ate and left no crumbs
Want to read
July 5, 2024｡･🥀:*˚ ⚔️:✧｡ :*˚ 👑 ｡･
𝒑𝒓𝒆-𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆:
CHAT WE BOUGHT ITTT
𝒑𝒓𝒆-𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆:
CHAT WE BOUGHT ITTT
Want to read
July 4, 2024guess what showed up in the mail ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
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