me to misha and ryen when they're out here writing handwritten letters to each other, while im here stuck with the likes of tindreread — 4.5 stars
me to misha and ryen when they're out here writing handwritten letters to each other, while im here stuck with the likes of tinder boys who thinks texting "dtf" or "u down 2 netflix n chill" is romantic
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must be nice.
anywho. i LOVE rereading this. i just felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me because these were good times.
honestly, im just gonna come out and say it but i miss this kind of new adult romance where the characters have so much depth and the story is unique and it isn't ruined by unnecessary threesome/sharing/orgies that ruin character/romantic development... too soon? oops.
✧ plot
↳ Misha Lare (H) and Ryen Trevarrow (h) have been pen pals since they were 4th grade and has been exchanging letters for 7 years until suddenly, after they unknowingly meet each other (Misha knowing what Ryen looks like while Ryen doesn't know what he looks like), he stops writing her.
three months later, Misha goes to Ryen's school to solve unfinished business but he also gets to see who Ryen really is. she's not the dorky, nerdy girl he knows from the letters. she's the popular, mean girl bully.
➵ characters can i just say that i absolutely love the depth and complexity of Ryen's character?? she became a bully because of kids making fun of her and she felt alone when she only wanted to belong ughhh it was so sad. it may seem like a small thing but it really isn't.
"My eyes burn with tears, and I'm so tired. So tired of holding back everything I feel and want to say. So tired of being someone I'm not and making mistakes that I didn't have any fun making."
and her character development is so nice to read about. obviously, i lowkey hated her in the beginning because she was a bItCh but i just wanted to hug her and be her friend by the end. and that scene with Manny? where they hugged each other and told him it was gonna get better? kinda bawled my eyes out in that scene too to be honest with y'all.
and Misha... my god. what a man. tattoos? lip piercing? writes songs?? is in a band? aaand he's mature?! AND RESPECTFUL??!?!
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✨ perfection ✨
➵ romance of course, there was a bit of hate to love in the beginning but the scenes filled with sexual tension which then added to their romantic development? love that.
"She can be a nightmare, but this still feels better than any dream."
and the quotes? iconic.
➵ Misha's "cousin" (spoilers) i actually really loved the cameo of the four (well, three this time) horsemen in this book. i remember the first time i read this i was hoping Misha's "cousin" would be Jared or Madoc or something but now that i've read devil's night series.. ehh. i kinda got excited that his cousin is the one and only, Will mo'fuckin Grayson but my excitement was kinda surpressed just cuz my mans Damon wasn't here. and that- that is a CRIME.
______________________________
i wish i forgot everything that happened in this book because i really did enjoy this more the first time i read it because i already knew all the plot twists ughhh.
but that said, i think this is my second favorite out of all pen douglas books?? i don't really know i can't choose between this, birthday girl, or until you. however, i think Ryen and Misha are superior af and dont @ me on this.
* * *
original rating (may 2018) — 5 stars
Merged review:
reread — 4.5 stars
me to misha and ryen when they're out here writing handwritten letters to each other, while im here stuck with the likes of tinder boys who thinks texting "dtf" or "u down 2 netflix n chill" is romantic
[image]
must be nice.
anywho. i LOVE rereading this. i just felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me because these were good times.
honestly, im just gonna come out and say it but i miss this kind of new adult romance where the characters have so much depth and the story is unique and it isn't ruined by unnecessary threesome/sharing/orgies that ruin character/romantic development... too soon? oops.
✧ plot
↳ Misha Lare (H) and Ryen Trevarrow (h) have been pen pals since they were 4th grade and has been exchanging letters for 7 years until suddenly, after they unknowingly meet each other (Misha knowing what Ryen looks like while Ryen doesn't know what he looks like), he stops writing her.
three months later, Misha goes to Ryen's school to solve unfinished business but he also gets to see who Ryen really is. she's not the dorky, nerdy girl he knows from the letters. she's the popular, mean girl bully.
➵ characters can i just say that i absolutely love the depth and complexity of Ryen's character?? she became a bully because of kids making fun of her and she felt alone when she only wanted to belong ughhh it was so sad. it may seem like a small thing but it really isn't.
"My eyes burn with tears, and I'm so tired. So tired of holding back everything I feel and want to say. So tired of being someone I'm not and making mistakes that I didn't have any fun making."
and her character development is so nice to read about. obviously, i lowkey hated her in the beginning because she was a bItCh but i just wanted to hug her and be her friend by the end. and that scene with Manny? where they hugged each other and told him it was gonna get better? kinda bawled my eyes out in that scene too to be honest with y'all.
and Misha... my god. what a man. tattoos? lip piercing? writes songs?? is in a band? aaand he's mature?! AND RESPECTFUL??!?!
[image]
✨ perfection ✨
➵ romance of course, there was a bit of hate to love in the beginning but the scenes filled with sexual tension which then added to their romantic development? love that.
"She can be a nightmare, but this still feels better than any dream."
and the quotes? iconic.
➵ Misha's "cousin" (spoilers) i actually really loved the cameo of the four (well, three this time) horsemen in this book. i remember the first time i read this i was hoping Misha's "cousin" would be Jared or Madoc or something but now that i've read devil's night series.. ehh. i kinda got excited that his cousin is the one and only, Will mo'fuckin Grayson but my excitement was kinda surpressed just cuz my mans Damon wasn't here. and that- that is a CRIME.
______________________________
i wish i forgot everything that happened in this book because i really did enjoy this more the first time i read it because i already knew all the plot twists ughhh.
but that said, i think this is my second favorite out of all pen douglas books?? i don't really know i can't choose between this, birthday girl, or until you. however, i think Ryen and Misha are superior af and dont @ me on this.
"I love you... a crazy fucking amount," she whispered... "I love you too-" my voice cracked... "Most in the world."
you know those type of long "I love you... a crazy fucking amount," she whispered... "I love you too-" my voice cracked... "Most in the world."
you know those type of long ass books where you're satisfied but you still want more? yeah, that's how i feel reading this book and it's rare for me to feel this way. it's a perfect contradiction, really.
i don't know what to say but JUST. READ. THIS. BOOK. it's perfect. it literally has everything i never knew i needed. it's long because it has a lot of showing than telling. reading this, it honestly felt like i was there with all the characters, i didn't feel disconnected or anything because the characters felt so real.
the first book ended with a cliffhanger and this was the continuation of everything unresolved. Johnny FINALLY pulled his head outta his ass so him and Shannon are a couple, so everything that didn't happen in the first book, definitely happened here... if ya know what i mean.
"I'm going to keep you," he whispered... "if that's okay?" "That's definitely okay," I breathed... "I want you to keep me."
honestly, there's so much going on in this book and i dont wanna give anything away so imma just list out everything i love:
bromance & friendships: Gibsie's love for our H, Johnny, was just so UGHHHHH *insert a million heart eyes*. it was too cute for words. Gibise was so loyal and supportive with everything Johnny. i mean, there's so many scenes that made me love their friendship like the scene where Gibsie cried when Johnny was leaving for rugby, when Gibsie sat on *ahem* "tissues" because, ya know, teenage boys and their hormones, when Gibsie acted like a proud mom whenever Johnny accomplishes something, and when Gibsie was always there for Johnny when tragedy happened... WE NEED MORE MALE FRIENDSHIPS LIKE THIS.
and the bond between Claire and our h, Shannon? fucking great. Claire is definitely the female version of Gibsie and their sisterhood/friendship made me so happy, especially after what Shannon has gone through.
Johnny, Gibsie & Shannon's brothers i LOVED all of Shannon's brothers (except for Darren, he's aight). all her brothers are crazy and loveable, i mean how can i not love Tahdg, the 11-year-old potty mouth with no filter; Ollie, the most innocent and cutest 9-year-old kid who hustled Johnny for money and who is not ashamed of his cute lil tummy; Sean, the 3-year-old kid who made me aww so many times; and Joey, the second oldest of all the siblings and who basically raised/protected all of them from their abusive father and neglectful mother.
and Johnny's and Gibsie's (yes, I'm counting him), relationship with all of the brothers was so heartwarming to read. those kids was literally living in a nightmare for a looooong time and when Johnny supposedly "kidnapped" the baby brothers and took them to McDonalds and the park just because he knew they were all hungry was just so cute and adorable, my heart couldn't take it. and the scenes between Gibsie the manchild and the kids were one of the funniest things i've ever read.
Claire & Gibsie yes, yes. i know i've been going on and on about Gibsie but he's honestly the best character here. he completely outshines everyone, even the MCs. not even sorry that im completely more invested in Claire's and Gibsie's love story than Shannon's and Johnny's.
i mean, them being best friends since childhood and have been in love with each other since forever but of course, something happened and now Gibsie is a man ho and all that but still loves and protects Claire fiercely. honestly, I dislike characters/heroes who supposedly love the girl but goes on to be a man ho, but he still does things to the girl he "loves" that clearly shows how much he loves her but they're a "coward" and all that. thank god Gibsie didn't rub any of his OW escapades to Claire and i'm pretty sure he wasn't with anyone in this book, except for that creepy secretary. yeah, i dislike characters like him in other books but Gibsie was just... idk how to describe him because my words don't do him justice but just know that he's fan-fuckin-tastic.
they're story is literally the same as Knight's and Luna's from Broken Knight but in my opinion, Claire and Gibise are way more adorable and loveable and i just know their story is gonna make me cry.
"She freewheeled my hormones out of control and KO'd my heart"
anyways, I can't wait to read Joey's (Shannon's older brother) book and i DEFINITELY cannot wait for Claire and Gibsie's book
tw: emotional and physical abuse (scenes from the past) & murder/arson (off-page)
Merged review:
"I love you... a crazy fucking amount," she whispered... "I love you too-" my voice cracked... "Most in the world."
you know those type of long ass books where you're satisfied but you still want more? yeah, that's how i feel reading this book and it's rare for me to feel this way. it's a perfect contradiction, really.
i don't know what to say but JUST. READ. THIS. BOOK. it's perfect. it literally has everything i never knew i needed. it's long because it has a lot of showing than telling. reading this, it honestly felt like i was there with all the characters, i didn't feel disconnected or anything because the characters felt so real.
the first book ended with a cliffhanger and this was the continuation of everything unresolved. Johnny FINALLY pulled his head outta his ass so him and Shannon are a couple, so everything that didn't happen in the first book, definitely happened here... if ya know what i mean.
"I'm going to keep you," he whispered... "if that's okay?" "That's definitely okay," I breathed... "I want you to keep me."
honestly, there's so much going on in this book and i dont wanna give anything away so imma just list out everything i love:
bromance & friendships: Gibsie's love for our H, Johnny, was just so UGHHHHH *insert a million heart eyes*. it was too cute for words. Gibise was so loyal and supportive with everything Johnny. i mean, there's so many scenes that made me love their friendship like the scene where Gibsie cried when Johnny was leaving for rugby, when Gibsie sat on *ahem* "tissues" because, ya know, teenage boys and their hormones, when Gibsie acted like a proud mom whenever Johnny accomplishes something, and when Gibsie was always there for Johnny when tragedy happened... WE NEED MORE MALE FRIENDSHIPS LIKE THIS.
and the bond between Claire and our h, Shannon? fucking great. Claire is definitely the female version of Gibsie and their sisterhood/friendship made me so happy, especially after what Shannon has gone through.
Johnny, Gibsie & Shannon's brothers i LOVED all of Shannon's brothers (except for Darren, he's aight). all her brothers are crazy and loveable, i mean how can i not love Tahdg, the 11-year-old potty mouth with no filter; Ollie, the most innocent and cutest 9-year-old kid who hustled Johnny for money and who is not ashamed of his cute lil tummy; Sean, the 3-year-old kid who made me aww so many times; and Joey, the second oldest of all the siblings and who basically raised/protected all of them from their abusive father and neglectful mother.
and Johnny's and Gibsie's (yes, I'm counting him), relationship with all of the brothers was so heartwarming to read. those kids was literally living in a nightmare for a looooong time and when Johnny supposedly "kidnapped" the baby brothers and took them to McDonalds and the park just because he knew they were all hungry was just so cute and adorable, my heart couldn't take it. and the scenes between Gibsie the manchild and the kids were one of the funniest things i've ever read.
Claire & Gibsie yes, yes. i know i've been going on and on about Gibsie but he's honestly the best character here. he completely outshines everyone, even the MCs. not even sorry that im completely more invested in Claire's and Gibsie's love story than Shannon's and Johnny's.
i mean, them being best friends since childhood and have been in love with each other since forever but of course, something happened and now Gibsie is a man ho and all that but still loves and protects Claire fiercely. honestly, I dislike characters/heroes who supposedly love the girl but goes on to be a man ho, but he still does things to the girl he "loves" that clearly shows how much he loves her but they're a "coward" and all that. thank god Gibsie didn't rub any of his OW escapades to Claire and i'm pretty sure he wasn't with anyone in this book, except for that creepy secretary. yeah, i dislike characters like him in other books but Gibsie was just... idk how to describe him because my words don't do him justice but just know that he's fan-fuckin-tastic.
they're story is literally the same as Knight's and Luna's from Broken Knight but in my opinion, Claire and Gibise are way more adorable and loveable and i just know their story is gonna make me cry.
"She freewheeled my hormones out of control and KO'd my heart"
anyways, I can't wait to read Joey's (Shannon's older brother) book and i DEFINITELY cannot wait for Claire and Gibsie's book
tw: emotional and physical abuse (scenes from the past) & murder/arson (off-page)...more
#1 reason why this book is entertaining : the male main character was suffering the entire book.
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this. this is the content i love.
this book ha#1 reason why this book is entertaining : the male main character was suffering the entire book.
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this. this is the content i love.
this book had me intrigued because, i love groveling and i heard this book is just full of the hero groveling so alas here i am. this is about Theresa (h) finally having enough with her husband's, Sandro (H), neglectful and dickhead attitude since they've been married for 18 months and asking for a divorce. Sandro, not knowing that his wife didn't know that their marriage was "arranged" and genuinely loved him finally gets his head out of his ass and grovels especially since spoiler // Theresa is pregnant // but too little too late now i guess.
“I'm your husband...” “No. You are not my husband,” she interrupted in a voice thickened with hatred and tears. “You have never been my husband. A husband loves, honours and cherishes! A husband is a lover and a champion... Look into the next room if you want to see what a real husband is, because you are no such thing!”
and honestly? other books with supposed "groveling" isn't enough for me. you think 2 chapters of telling >>> showing of the hero groveling or doing a ONE speech or public gesture or naming a cloud after them is enough for me?
HELL. NO.
what is worse is that the heroine, most of the time, just forgives the hero after ONE speech. yeah, that's a no for me. i need 10 chapters - minimum - of the hero begging for the heroine's forgiveness and the heroine making the hero work hard for it until i, as the reader, am satisfied with the groveling because seriously,
LET. THE. MAN. SUFFER.
anywho, going back to the book, Theresa really made Sandro suffer the entire book and rightfully so. when i tell you she did not forgive Sandro the entire book and made him work for it til the very end? i mean it.
"You know what it’s like when you have an overwhelming urge to scrape the touch, the smell, the very essence of someone off your skin, don’t you? After all, that’s what you usually do thirty seconds after your orgasm, and I can finally relate to that."
sis did not wake up and choose violence, she IS violence.
-`,✎ WHY NOT A HIGHER RATING?
first of all, Sandro is kinda dumb. no- actually, he's fully dumb. throughout the book he was groveling and working hard to earn his wife's forgiveness right? right. what i don't understand is why he keeps hanging out with the OW, Francesca, aka his ex girlfriend that Theresa thought he has loved this whole entire time, whenever he goes back to Italy to visit his family. i know that his family forces him to hang out with his ex but dancing with her? hugging her and putting his arms around her shoulders? kissing her cheeks? laughing with her and knowing that there's paparazzi everywhere meaning he knows that his wife will probably see them pictured together?
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sir, explain yourself.
and also, he must've known that the media was talking shit about his wife right? he could've literally protected Theresa and told the paparazzi's to shut the fuck up and shut the rumors down about him and Francesca but he never did any of this. so see, this is why we need Sandro's POV in this book because yes, everything was written in Theresa's POV. plus, i just wanted to feel his pain and regret, and i wanna know his train of thought whenever he would go to Italy while his family is forcing him to hang out with his ex. and for those who want to know, this is his mindset about his ex:
"I don't love Francesca. I don't think I've ever loved her. Maybe when I married you, for about five seconds, I believed that I did. But I was disabused of that notion pretty damned early on in our marriage. I don't love her and I have no idea why the hell you're so fixated on her."
now, do y'all see what i mean by Sandro being a dumbass? i HaVe No IdeA wHy yoU'Re fIxAtEd On HeR... dude.
also, for those who want to know, no he never cheated but he did pretend to be with random women the whole time they were married and Theresa thought he was maybe cheating. and he knew this would hurt her. so the fact that he doesn't know why his wife is "fixated" on his ex and he knows that the paparazzi are taking pictures of them together... boy, i wonder why your wife is fixated on her, you dumbass.
i know i said i like that Sandro was suffering but these two fought the ENTIRE book. i just wanted more sweet moments between them because their arguments were getting a little tiresome and a bit repetitive. i just wish there were at least past scenes that shows us how Sandro has treated Theresa as it was all telling >>> showing. and because of this and the fact i only saw him as an asshole in the first chapter, i started to feel bad for Sandro and we don't want that because Theresa really was ruthless (deservedly so).
───── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─────
again, i just wish we have more of Sandro's POV because we just get his side of things literally waaay at the end in a long ass speech. and even though he's trying to win his wife back, why the f can't he just tell her the truth from the very beginning about Francesca instead of stressing his pregnant wife out for the whole 9 months of her pregnancy??
What. An. Idiot.
if you guys want to be stressed and wanna read about a hero suffering the entire book then i recommend this!!
this book really made me wanna get out of my bed, stop reading till 4 am, and instead wake up at 4 am, go on 5 hour hikes, go camping a3.75-4 stars ✩⋆
this book really made me wanna get out of my bed, stop reading till 4 am, and instead wake up at 4 am, go on 5 hour hikes, go camping and generally just go outside...
... but am i gonna do all this?
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there's just something so peaceful about the outdoors and small town in fiction. like, it just makes me feel so comfy, just- soo at peace, ya know? i don't know why. is it maybe because it reminds me of twilight aka one of my comfort movies? yes, of fucking course.
and the fact that this book has found family/home trope, small town, a dilf and his cute adorable teenage kid, slowburn (no, like, this is VERY slowburn guys), grumpy/sunshine trope? just- I M M A C U L A T E.
but anyways a little backstory,
⤷ this book is about Aurora De La Torre (h) who just got dumped recently by her famous dickhead boyfriend. a year later, she decides to move back to her childhood home and do many of the things her mother used to do. and lo and behold, her landlord, Tobias Rhodes (H), at the new place she was staying at? yeah, he didn't want her there because his son, Amos secretly allowed her to rent their garage apartment. but as y'all know, sunshine characters always win over the grumpy assholes over time.
this gave me KA vibes, mainly the gamble and sweet dreams and the feelings i felt while reading this were close to what i felt when i read my favorite MZ books (kulti, wall of winnipeg and wait for it) so if you like any of these, im pretty sure you'll like this book.
➳ characters aight let's talk about Aurora first kay? yeah, i love this bish. i really do. she reminds me of Diana with a little bit of Sal mainly because they all annoy the grumpy H's all the damn time with their sunshine, optimistic personality which i love to see in MZ heroines. i just love reading about her journey when it comes to grief, honoring her mom, and just overall realizing that the "love" she had was shit and she now knows what she...more
so we’re all collectively suffering again this time of year by reading dramione fics huh?
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first read (2021) — 4.75 reread — upgraded to 5 stars ✩⋆
so we’re all collectively suffering again this time of year by reading dramione fics huh?
* * *
first read (2021) — 4.75 stars ✩⋆
this ✨dramione✨ fic is one of the most depressing things i've ever read and i fucking love it.
everyone- and i mean everyone was raving about this on tiktok so i was like ehh okay i'll read this. it's dark? depressing? soul-crushing? everyone died? voldy and the death eaters won the war? hell yes.
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my shipping status is a mess okay? bear with me. ➵ movies: harry x hermione // there's a reason why PoA is my favorite. ➵ books: ron x hermione // that slowburn, friends to lovers, bicker like an old married couple dynamic? fuuuuck yes. ➵ fanon: DRAMIONE ALL THE FUCKING WAY // the enemies to lovers, complex anti-heroes that only have a soft spot for the person they love and has a grey moral background just hits different.
✧ p l o t
↳ it has been at least 2 years since Voldy won the war and killed Harry Potter and tortured everyone from the Order. after 16 months of being in solitary confinement Voldy discovered that Hermione is hiding something from her memories.
he decides to put her in the breeding program where the surviving females of the Order act as a "surrogate" for his death eaters because the fertility rates are low amongst the purebloods. Hermione is assigned to Voldy's right-hand man who is none other than Draco-fucking-Malfoy aka the High Reeve aka Voldy's General.
so yeah anyways, i fucking loved this. there's no point in sugar coating anything. this was, as Ronald would say, bloody brilliant. this didn't even feel like a fanfic because the writing is that good. and @SenLinYu and @AVENDELL bishhhh i fucking love y'all thank you for creating this masterpiece and the most beautiful, yet haunting fanfic/fanart i've ever seen.
➵ TW: rape, attempted rape, violence, torture, mass murder, war, physical and mental abuse, just- EVERYTHING. this book is really dark right off the bat so keep that in mind.
p.s. this is gonna be a long ass review because i have so much emotions and i need to let it out so thx for listening to my ted talk in advance ♡
\\ WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD AND MY INNER NERD IS GONNA COME OUT IN THIS REVIEW DON'T JUDGE ME //
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･ PART I: HANDMAIDS TALE 2.0 ･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･．
➵ November 2004 - March 2005
of-fucking-course this book starts with Umbridge "accidentally" leaving Hermione in solitary confinement for 16 months. that bitch. you know, i've always wondered what it was like if Voldy won the war. like what would happen ya know? but then-
"Then [Lucius Malfoy] cast a curse that turned Ron's blood gradually into molten lead. Hermione watched as the curse slowly crept through Ron's body, destroying him from the inside out... They had left Molly for last. So she'd watch all her children die... Remus had lasted hours longer than anyone else. His lycanthropy kept healing him until he just hung there, unresponsive. Finally, someone shot the Killing Curse at him out of boredom."
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i aLwaYS WoNDereD whAT wOulD HapPEN iF voLdY WoN okaaaayy well shit. i never imagined it that way sheesh. and apparently Voldy avada kedavra'd Harry 6 times, hung his body up the Astronomy Tower so the Order survivors can see his rotten corpse, all the surviving females are forced to be a part of this "breeding" programs as "surrogates" for the Death Eaters because most of the pureblood females are infertile or barren and they need to procreate more purebloods so...
... yeah. this book is d-a-r-k, DARK.
my girl Hermione was so broken in this part. she lost some of her memories from the war, she was sold to Draco, had depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, ptsd, and survivor's guilt. she's also raped by Draco for 6 months (5 times a month because of the breeding program) and is being tortured by Legilimency (where someone invades your memories and apparently it hurts like a bitch), almost raped by Graham Montague, and had her eye gouged out by Draco's wife, Astoria (don't worry, he and Astoria never did anything they hated each other).
yeah... our girl has been through a lot here. and Malfoy? hated him (calm down i only hated him in this part when i didn't know wtf was going on). i just wanted to-
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but also... not because High Reeve Draco is scary af.
listen. i knew something was up with him because we get glimpses of the real Draco. and his reaction when he needs to "breed"? yeah not a normal reaction. i can tell he was in pain and he was just holding it in. i knew something was up. and i was right!! when i found out what i found out- THE PAIN OH MY GOD.
anywho this part ends with Hermione getting pregnant and she gets into a coma and her memories start coming back.
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･PART II: DRAMIONE >>> THE ORDER･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･．
➵ flashback; March 2002 - July 2003
ok ok. this is where shit really begins. so this is the part where EVERY. TEA. IS. SPILLED. we finally find out what the fuck happened and why she lost certain parts of her memories.
so we find out that Hermione is one of the main healers and dark curse specialist, so she's in charge of healing practically everybody. she's a "nOn ACtiVe MEmBer" of the Order who "doesn't fight" (lol). this begins with Kingsley and Moody secretly selling her to Draco because he offered to be their spy and he wanted her for some reason.
honestly this was my mood the whole time:
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everyone was my hurting my babies and that is unacceptable.
Harry, Ron, Dumbledore's Army and the rest of the Order GOT...more
update after watching s2: kanthony gave me the biggest blue balls and gave me the worst (or best?) edging i've ever experienced in my ent3.75 stars ✩⋆
update after watching s2: kanthony gave me the biggest blue balls and gave me the worst (or best?) edging i've ever experienced in my entire life
but netflix... bestie... what are y'all doing with this love triangle and edwina bs pls i can't handle this (overall thoughts about season 2 will be at the end of this review but i wanna talk about the book first)
* * *
don't mind me. just reading this after suffering through the anthony + siena scenes in the show.
after watching episode 1 i ran so fast to goodreads and started stalking everyone's books and me always being curious af and wanting to know if siena's gonna be a problem and me being weirdly attracted to anthony's sideburns, i read this aaand i loved it. kate is just so- *chef's kiss* and the enemies to lovers trope- *chef's kiss x2* but first, imma have to talk about the book and then i'll quickly rant my feelings out about anthonysiena cuz y'all are my therapists and ranting is therapy so <3 (note from future mel: listen, anthonysiena drama was one thing but the edwina drama...)
.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．.・゜゜・ .・゜゜・
REVIEW FOR THE BOOK
moving on to the book now, i fucking loved it.
『 p l o t 』↠ Anthony Bridgerton being the eldest and taking up the Viscount title, he finally decided to marry (not for love) to fulfill his duties. he wants to marry Edwina but her sister, Kate Sheffield (h) doesn't want a rake (a man ho) to be her sister's husband so she does everything to sabotage Anthony's courtship (as she should).
after reading one chapter, i already knew i was gonna love kate and i really did (you see why i feel so angry for our girl with the whole anthony + siena scenes?) she didn't take any shit from anthony, called him out whenever his "rake" behavior is showing and their enemies to lovers trope? slowburn and hesitant friendship? banter? hate to love? kate smiling evilly whenever anthony suffers? newton the corgi? kate being the one and only and FIRST love for anthony?? YESSS.
i can't believe a fucking bee caused them to get married.
my favorite scene is the pall mall scene with kate's black mallet of death and anthony's pink mallet. i am praying to the netflix gods to make this scene happen because watching anthony being the loser was such great content.
i would've rated this higher but i just wanted more scenes of them being a couple. i looove slowburn but after suffering through the siena scenes, i wanted to see more smut. and honestly, i know he didn't need to grovel but i wish he did just because i'm a ho for these scenes. basically, i just wanted more of them. aaand that maria (siena in the show) scene where he invited her to his study where, unknowingly, kate was hiding, and he was going to use maria to "forget" her was annoying af but thank god this ended quickly.
.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．.・゜゜・ .・゜゜・
<< quick note from future mel, hi hello, the upcoming rant was my reaction after watching season 1 and i wanna full-on rant about season 2 but like- im too lazy for that (i wrote a quick rant at the end though) just know i was blushing and giggling and felt very single but anyways enjoy me hyperventilating about the anthonysiena drama from season 1 but if you don't care about my thoughts of the show just ignore everything after this ok byee >>
soo this is my upcoming rant about s1 and if y'all don't mind, imma just rant about anthony + siena a little bit here because their scenes were PAINFUL af and i just gotta let it out of my chest ya know?
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so don't mind this ⤵ section if you haven't watched the Bridgerton because SPOILERS FOR THE SHOW
.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．.・゜゜・ .・゜゜・
RANT ABOUT ANTHONY + SIENA (in the show)
↠ pro tip: do NOT read this book after watching just ONE episode of the Bridgerton because i was...more
Cheyenne (h) was so freaking cute and my inner momma bear naturally came out because she seemed so sw2.5 stars ✧
ok, ok so the prologue got me HOOKED.
Cheyenne (h) was so freaking cute and my inner momma bear naturally came out because she seemed so sweet and innocent and she did not deserve to be treated the way she was treated aaand the fact that she didn't even know she was being treated like shit? by her own father and stepmom??? ugh just felt my soul weep a little.
so a little backstory,
⤷ back in highschool, we find out that she has something and she's been misdiagnosed A LOT, her mother died and we don't know why, she moved to her uncle's house because her dad don't want nothing to do with her, she went to college with her dad's money, years go by, she had a crush on her stepbros best friend, Cut (H) who's an NHL player and BAM. the book begins and umm....
... i almost dnf'ed this (many times by the way) but then half of my brain said:
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and i was like. alright brain I FUCKING WON'T. i ain't no quitter ...more
why do i keep doing this to myself? honestly. whyyyy??
i literally dnf'ed this a few months ago because of the first chapter but like- as y'al2.5 stars
why do i keep doing this to myself? honestly. whyyyy??
i literally dnf'ed this a few months ago because of the first chapter but like- as y'all know me, i don't listen to myself and hurt my own feelings so alas here i am (again).
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so this is like any other new adult book out there. we have: Aspen (h) being the loner type of character + Blaise (H) is your typical popular kid + they have dark past + they connect through trauma and shit + H helps h get out of her shell + h makes H want to be a "better man" + add a little OW drama + family drama and BAM = ✨NEW ADULT ROMANCE✨
✦✧ SPOILERS AHEAD ✧✦
k first of all, what is up with all this voyeuristic, OW shit i've been reading this month. seriously ...more
single dad that works as a coast guard pilot? heroine who is a little bit messed up because of her past? these two being neighbors? cute lit3.75 stars
single dad that works as a coast guard pilot? heroine who is a little bit messed up because of her past? these two being neighbors? cute little daughter that loves to collect seashells and has 5 different pets? ex drama? the OUTER BANKS??
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ok so everything is just COMPLICATED.
↳ you have Morgan (h) moving to this huge ass house to rebuild it and "heal" herself after losing the man she loved 2 years ago because he was a pilot for the military and he sacrificed his life for her friends' husbands. for the past 2 years, she's had this thing called complicated grief and it got so bad that she had anxiety attacks, can't even open his truck, etc. AND THEN - get this - Jackson, the hot neighbor with the cute little kid that she is falling for is also a pilot soo uhh... yikes.
alright let's talk about the // CHARACTERS // — Morgan Bartley (h)
"God, I didn’t deserve this man who held me carefully as I cried out my grief for another."
so not gonna lie, i was a tiny bit- ok actually, VERY frustrated with Morgan from middle to end but imma talk about that later, however, i felt so bad for her! that scene when she finally confronted her friends about their neglect and lack of care when it came to her pain?? ugh MY HEART. i really liked her character development and growth tho. her grief was so bad and painful in the beginning but i like seeing her overcome that.
— Jackson Montgomery (H)
"I’ve waited my entire life to love you, Morgan. Everything that came before was just to prepare me for your arrival, to teach me how to love you."
this man CARRIED this book. all the swoony, lovey-dovey shit? yup, this man's got it. how do i describe this him... well, he's a simp, in a good way of course (not that there's a bad way??) but yeah, this dude was smitten, guys- he was smitten, enamored and BEWITCHED. it was so cute. and the fact that he fought for her the whole freaking time while knowing she still loves her dead quasi-ex??
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can someone get this man a trophy because damn. i don't know how he handled seeing the woman he loves grieve so hard for another man that she STILL loved at that point (not that the OM deserved it by the way... too harsh? oops).
and now let's get on with the // ROMANCE // like i said, not only did Jackson carry this book but he carried the whole damn romance. guys, this dude was so swoony and 100% all in when it came to Morgan!!
"I'm going to love you so well that you'll never doubt that I choose you. Every day. Every situation. I choose you."
y'all see THIS ⤴ y'all see THAT. yeah... What. A. Man. the patience of this man... i could NEVER. if my future lover is grieving and loving his dead quasi-ex... not gonna lie... i would dip. i'm sorry i know i'm a masochist but i'm not that much of a masochist. but Jackson tho... good for him. i love a Hero who fights for the heroine.
okaaay now let's talk about // EX DRAMA & MORGAN'S "FRIENDS" (spoilers) // you know when it comes to books that has ex-drama, i'm always worried that the heroine might be second best but nahhh. it's the other way around in this book.
✧history with OM
↳ Morgan has been in love with Will (OM) for 8-10 years but they were never together. her love was unrequited because he was in love with Peyton (her best friend's sister who died) and then dated Peyton's sister, Paisley. he ALWAYS chose someone else and never Morgan. but the day of his deployment, he promised they'll be together when he comes back but he died few days later.
you know... obviously i'm uncomfortable whenever she says she still loves Will because like, look:
"Every label I could put on what I had with Will felt too small, too pale in comparison to what we'd been, and what we could have evolved into, and yet too big for our lack of definition."
see? this all makes me ✨uncomfy✨ and i was a little frustrated with Morgan when she kept being stubborn about not loving Jackson, all the while thinking about how much she loved Will like dude. chill. please give my mans Jackson what he deserves, thank you.
but then i'm hit with these:
↳ "The man I loved with my whole heart gave his life so one of the women he loved could have her husband... I've spent the last two years wondering why I wasn't enough to make him want to live."
↳ "Just like Peyton hadn't chosen Will... and yet he'd still loved her until his dying breath. He'd loved Paisley, too, even when she'd chosen Jagger. But he'd never loved me, even though I was the only one who had ever chosen him."
and honestly? Will, does NOT deserve Morgan's at all. this dude made her wait for 8 YEARS while pining after someone else AND dating her best friend. so yeah, i'm mad at him and i feel so bad for Morgan! she wasn't even second, third or FOURTH best, she's literally all the way to the very bottom. i'm not gonna say i'm glad he's gone but...
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do i think that Morgan and Jackson wouldn't happen if Will is still alive? yeah. but do i think their love is stronger than Jackson and Morgan's? hell no.
and her friends suck especially Paisley (Will's ex). i'm not gonna get into it but... they suck. i knew they had their own grievances but neglecting her, not having her back when she had theirs, shoving their happily-ever-afters to her face when she didn't get hers, implicitly treating her like she doesn't deserve to grieve Will, not even checking on her if she was okay when the "love of her life" died, etc.
they suck but... that scene when she confronted them? it was kinda awesome. like, yesss bishh keep yelling at them woo!!
there is a little bit of OW drama where Claire, the baby mama shows up and causes trouble, wanting to reconcile but nothing to worry about because again, Jackson is 100% all about Morgan.
* * *
i just wish we saw more of Morgan admitting she loved Jackson because my girl really made the man work HARD. because you know what, at times, i feel like she didn't even deserve him but oh well. and i also wanted to see more scenes with Finley (Jackson's daughter) because fictional kids are *chef's kiss*
and can we talk about the climax where Morgan chose to save Finley instead of attending Will's medal of honor ceremony, while there was an upcoming hurricane with 14 ft waves?? because that shit was INTENSE.
anyways, speaking of OUTER BANKS, anyone else watch that netflix show? do y'all love JJ as much as I am? do you guys ship Kiera and JJ? anyone else think that... Rafe is... lowkey... hot?
you know, i read this whole damn series for Rose and Connor but i ended up still reading it for Daisy and Ryke. i didn't even know they exist3.5 stars
you know, i read this whole damn series for Rose and Connor but i ended up still reading it for Daisy and Ryke. i didn't even know they existed before i started this series but now this book was my most anticipated read for the series because i mean-
the age gap? mutual pining? forbidden romance?? the angst? sunshine/grumpy asshole trope?? two characters FINALLY being together after impatiently watching them be a couple even though they're not a couple for 4 books??
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and does anyone else see the resemblance between AelinRowan and DaisyRyke dynamic?? because i do.
↳Exhibit A: Daisy/Aelin both flirt with Rowan/Ryke just to annoy the shit out of them even though they shouldn't flirt with them because it's ~forbidden~
↳Exhibit B: Daisy/Aelin are both crazy (respectfully) and Ryke/Rowan both have sticks up their asses and just lets their women do whatever the f they want while smiling proudly at them.
see?? do y'all see the resemblance? no, just me? ok moving on.
i have been waiting- WAITING for this book since i read Ricochet because, well, i have a weakness for the whole sunshine, happy-go-lucky heroine and broody asshole Hero trope. plus i'm a little biased because Ryke and Daisy became my favorites but did i like this tho? ehhh.. mostly, about 75% of it??
✧ plot
↳so this is Ryke (H) and Daisy's (h) story (a year or so after Kiss the Sky). these two have been circling each other for YEARS but they can't do anything because of the 7-year age gap and Daisy was only 15 when they first met. 3 years later, Ryke is still a bit hesitant because of Lo (his brother) being overprotective when it comes to Daisy, and of course her problematic mother. but then they realized that they just wanna be together and they were like ehh fuck it. consequences be damned.
again, this story is more character driven so there's no "plot" BUT this does have the whole road trip storyline for the most part.
*∘✧WHAT I LIKED✧∘* ➵ Connor & Ryke bromance y'all know i love the whole enemies to lovers trope right? well these two do it PERFECTLY. they hated each other back then (don't really know why) and now Connor is all like,
"... Your brother's existence caused your parent's divorce, and yet, you gave up most of your time and energy to help him through his sobriety. How can you possibly think you're a pain in their life? What you've done for them, it's nothing short of heroic, and if you can't see that, then you're blind my friend."
oooooohhhh my god. he said "my friend" awww. these two are so cute. i love the development of their friendship because you can just see their respect for each other grow throughout the whole book. and honestly... i liked reading their bromance more than the main romance of this book (because of my pre-existing salty mood of course but we'll talk about that later).
➵ road trip timeeee anything that has a storyline where road trip is a big thing, well, i fucking love that. i don't know, i guess it just reminds me of The Lightning Thief and that book was my childhood so im pretty sure i associate road trips to that book hence why i love this trope... but ANYWAYS. my favorite part in this road trip is the bromance and can we talk about the bonding time this group had when the girls swam in a lake full of leeches? *sigh* good times.
after overcoming trials and tribulations of school after withering a brewing storm of papers and assignments after vanquishing the horrendous 3.5 stars
after overcoming trials and tribulations of school after withering a brewing storm of papers and assignments after vanquishing the horrendous ordeal known as "midterms"
I FINALLY FINISHED THIS.
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honestly this book feels more like a very very long prologue to Calloway Sisters series so i'm not complaining.
so this is the continuation of Lo and Lily's story when they reunite after 3 months of Lo being in rehab. there is a bit of drama here where someone is blackmailing Lily and threatening her that they'll out her as being a sex addict and then... that's it.
↬ Lo & Lily ↫ okay ya know what...? there IS character development/growth here and i really appreciate that. they were so toxic in the first book, always enabling each other, being selfish and unlikeable, not seeking help, etc. but these two characters are genuinely trying their best. Lo helping Lily with her sex addiction and how he's even scheduling their intimacy and supporting her? it was very sweet actually. im genuinely proud.
↬ Daisy & Ryke ↫ let's talk about these two for a sec because imma need to rant a little bit okay? okay.
FIRST OF ALL. these two had more drama (mainly OW drama) than the main leads. SECOND, i'm Melissa, the OW's name is Melissa... i- i don't want my name to be associated with an OW especially if that OW is with Ryke tf?? the one time i finally see my name in a book and im an OW?
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no thanks. why can't i be a main character for once ...more
hey @Netflix can you please make these books into a movie/mini-series.. please?? i'll even give you a dollar or something-
this whole series is really hey @Netflix can you please make these books into a movie/mini-series.. please?? i'll even give you a dollar or something-
this whole series is really questioning my sanity because- well, it's kinda showing a side of me that's... dark and uh.. ᵇˡᵒᵒᵈᵗʰⁱʳˢᵗʸ and you may be asking...
y/n: mel, why are you happy when Lana is about to torture and murder someone? me: weelll i-
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*cue tiktok audio* "is this who we are? is this who we represent?" yes. yes it is. because teamLana all the way. what she's doing may be a little unconventional, to say the least but like- just imagine her as any other superheroes out there but make it ✨violent & bloody✨
so, this is the conclusion of Lana and Logan's story, where we finally get to find out what Lana's endgame was this entire time and i LOVED it... well.. mostly. i just thought it was a bit rushed but i'll talk about that later.
anywho, y'all just please read this series please and thank youuuu.
☞︎ SPOILERS AHEAD ☜︎
˗ˏˋ Lana & Logan my two precious beans ˎˊ˗ awww my babies!!! i love them so much. i thought- i THOUGHT we were gonna have a bittersweet ending because first of all, how tf was Lana gonna escape?? thank god that happened at the end. and did Logan grovel well?? yes, i think so but i wish there were more scenes where the grovelling was dragged on and she didn't forgive him right when they reunite again.
˗ˏˋ Dynamic Duo: Lana & Jake ˎˊ˗ THESE TWO WERE SO FUCKING CUTE. ugh i just couldn't. they were quite literally bff goals. Jake is the ultimate ride-or-die friend like, what more could you ask? would your friend pretend to be paralyzed for years and help you torture and murder your rapists?? yeah, I. Don't. Think. So.
˗ˏˋ unexpected ship between two genius dorks ˎˊ˗ ok i did NOT see this coming but fuck yes. i love Jake and Hadley. was i expecting this relationship? hell no. but-
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if s.t. abby is writing a book about these two? imma snatch that real quick.
˗ˏˋ that mofo who started it all ˎˊ˗ OHHH MYYY GOD. i truly 100% did NOT expect the serial killer to be that person!! first of all, the clues were there and Logan even acted weirdly and gave me hints because he was all like hmmm why is he overreacting?? seems sus to me and i was like
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but of-fuckin'-course the one person i overlooked was the serial killer.. damn. though, im kinda sad that there's no confrontation between this asshole and Lana. i really wanted to see that just because i wanna hear another one of her epic speeches.
˗ˏˋ the ending ˎˊ˗ ok this is why i didn't rate the book a full 5 stars and went with 4.75 stars instead. i don't know... the ending was just a bit rushed for me. everything was happening so quickly and when i mentioned that this book brings out the ᵇˡᵒᵒᵈᵗʰⁱʳˢᵗʸ side of me, i ain't joking. some of the deaths were TOO quick for my liking. Johnson? Sheriff? it was too quick for me. like seriously? you're just gonna stab one to death while shot the other in the head?? naaahhhhh
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i mean... personally, i wish she kept Kyle, Sheriff and Johnson alive and cut their d*cks, tongue and fingers off and let them live like that but okaaaayyy whatever. stabbing and shooting them is good too i guess.
also, there were just some loose ends like what happened to Logan's team? are they okay? what about the other side characters like Diana? Lindy and Laurel? is Logan's team hunting Logan and Hadley now? i need answers!!!
but whatever. all of my babies got their happy ending and if they're happy, i'm happy too.
* * *
*sigh* anyways, this was a nice journey y'all and im not looking forward to the book hangover i'm about to experience. this is a romance (NOT erotica, don't let the book covers fool you) but honestly? read this for the story and character/friendship developments because that's what made this series so so SO good.
i'm so happy i finally rated a book/series that's higher than 3 stars because 2020 releases aren't going too well for me- mostly. but this series deserves ALLLL the hype and this will definitely be in my all-time favorites because that's how good this is aaand Lana is one of the best heroines i've read.
so you're telling me TWELVE 15-19 year olds did all that to our girl Lana and her brother, Marcus?!?! someone hold my earrings and iced coffe4.5 stars
so you're telling me TWELVE 15-19 year olds did all that to our girl Lana and her brother, Marcus?!?! someone hold my earrings and iced coffee im about to fight all these bitches.
[image] i was expecting that but i also wasn't expecting that. what Lana and her family went through? it was fucking DARK.
the last book that i've read that had this much evil shit happen to the main characters was Souls Unfractured and i wasn't expecting to read something that matched its darkness. i was NOT emotionally readyyy. God, i've never hated a character until i was introduced to Agent Johnson and Sheriff Canon (is it Canon? i don't know. i forgot this asshole's name).
// TW (spoilers) // ↬ castration, sexual assault, torture, just every-fuckin'-thing.
i can't really talk about this book without spoiling so
~ SPOILERS AHEAD ~
➵ Lana and her family okay, what happened to them genuinely made me sick so yes, it was that dark. literally in chapter 1, we get to read what happened to Lana, Marcus and their dad. i had to take a break for like, a day or something because i couldn't handle it. you know, usually i'm used to a lot of dark shit but this one really, genuinely disturbed me.
and if some of you wanna know, well // MAJOR SPOILERS (don't read this if you want to read the book) //
⤷ Lana and Marcus were both cornered on the street where the Sheriff's daughter was brutally raped and murdered and this stupid Sheriff was so overcome with grief that he planned (or did not plan) on framing Lana's dad. Kyle was Lana's ex and the Sheriff's son and he orchestrated the whole assault. Lana and Marcus were sexually assaulted the whole night and Kyle castrated Marcus in front of Lana. and Lana's dad was sexually assaulted and beaten by 20+ deputies and the sheriff.
but yeah... you see how bad it is??
➵ Leonard how-how did this dude even find out about Lana?? you're telling me he figured it out before Logan?? HOOOW? but was I the only one who wanted him to stfu when he told Logan?? like
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i love him tho. he's #teamLana so it's all gooood.
➵ Haunted House scene MY FAVORITE SCENE OUT OF THE WHOLE SERIES. hands down. i fucking love this. Lana was killing people left, right and centre. sawing a body in half, pouring lye on someone while they're bleeding to death, doing all this in front of people- HAHAHA i love it.
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➵ THAT ENDING (spoilers) !!! wtf LOGAN!! im so mad at him. you really did that to our girl?? had sex with her, then handcuffed her to the bed, silenced her, and left her like that?? damn
this book is really making me wanna become an FBI profiler huh?
you know, ever since freshman year of high school, my dream job was to actually be an Fthis book is really making me wanna become an FBI profiler huh?
you know, ever since freshman year of high school, my dream job was to actually be an FBI profiler after i binge-watched criminal minds for a whole month.
but y'all know why that won't work? well, first of all i'm not American and second, FBI agents exercise and... i... Do. Not. and when i discovered all this well-
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truly a sad day for me.
anyways. this book barely had any romance but i ain't complaining because it focused more on the plot and said plot is addicting as hell because i'm on the edge of my seat the whole book. the whole Boogeyman (another serial killer) plot, Lana and what she did to Hadley's (another FBI agent from Logan's team) pedophile step-dad, Laurel and Lindy, etc.
i truly just wanted to exclaim, and possibly worried (but not really), that i get all giggly and excited when our girl lana is about torture and murder someone <3 i support women's rights AND wrongs.
ok so we can all agree that Wicked Princess was just a long ass prologue for this book right? RIGHT??3.75 stars; ☆
~ this right here was chaotic good ~
ok so we can all agree that Wicked Princess was just a long ass prologue for this book right? RIGHT?? ok. now that that's settled, Oakley and Bianca never took a break cuz it was drama after drama, tragedy after tragedy like sheesh let them breathe a little damn.
✧plot
↳ 8 months after Stone (OM) proposed to Bianca (h), Oakley (H) finally got out of prison but because of guilt and the fact that the love of his life is engaged to another man, he decides to leave her alone until Bianca felt a sudden connection when she sees him again.
they then become friends and suddenly, all the memories of her and Oakley comes back and now she's not sure about everything.
so apparently everyone's theories are mostly correct. i don't think this is a spoiler but Stone is indeed trash and BiancaOakley are endgame!!! fuck YESS
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