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Review

“Everything will undoubtedly change, but what I fear most is an unlived life. “

5 stars

I loved being back in this world with these characters, and this book took me on a fun, emotional and passionate ride with a surprising amount of feels. I felt this one deeply, and it gave me a me a lot of what I thought was missing in the last book, and I loved it!

In the last book, we saw Sulli, Akara and Banks feeling all the feels and coming together into what they would eventually identify as a polyamorous relationship. In this book, they are exploring exactly what that means, and settling into the realities and practicalities of a life together – and that includes sharing the news with their friends and families.

Right from the beginning, the emotion is running high, and I was instantly sucked back into this world, as Daddy Ryke is the first to find out, and oh holy damn.

“You fucking touch her, and you’re dead,” he growls. “You fucking hear me?”
“We already have, sir,” Banks says.
I look up just as my dad swings.

It’s the beginning of a wild ride as the triad come to realise just how deeply their relationship will effect the people in their lives. Telling their friends and families was just as fantastic as I was hoping (emotional with moments that made me laugh out loud), and watching them deal with those reactions is a huge part of this book. From the funny to the beautifully heartwarming to the devastatingly heartbreaking, it’s all there, and I felt it all!

I just want to kiss Sulli like she’s my girlfriend. Because she is my girlfriend. And a kiss shouldn’t cause an earthquake of chaos.

Meanwhile, Sulli is trying so hard to prove she’s all grown up and figure out what she wants from her life, Akara is balancing being a boyfriend and a multiple-business owner, and Banks is dealing with his own stuff. They are there to support each other, and they continue to follow their hearts, just as they have been from the beginning. They love each other fiercely, they have acted on what feels right for them, and even though they know there will undoubtedly be hard times ahead, they’re all in, and it’s gorgeous to see.

Fear of the danger ahead isn’t depriving me of the greatest love I’ve ever experienced.

“Whatever happens,” I whisper, “we’ll always choose you like you chose us. No matter which direction I’m pulled in, I’m headed to you.”

These are the first books of this type that I have read – where two guys are both in a romantic/sexual relationship with a girl, but aren’t together romantically themselves. It was initially a bit of a weird dynamic for me to try and wrap my head around, and when I first learned of this relationship, I was worried that I wouldn’t be on board. I thought that I would feel sad for Akara and Banks, that they get ‘half’ of a relationship instead of an all-consuming love like the rest of the characters in this series have. But call me converted, because I am right on board now! In this book, I saw it, I could feel it, and I came to understand how this kind of relationship works. It felt necessary for them, like this is the way they all need to be together, and I loved that they found something so special that meant so much to them.

I look to Banks. We’ve fallen in love with the same lively, endearing, courageous girl, and the irreplaceable feelings I share with him—the true depth of feelings we all share—I can’t leave behind. Like pieces of soul and breath. Greater than love. A reason for living. A reason for being.
He looks to me. It’s the three of us.
It’s always going to be the three of us.

I thought this book was a lot more balanced than the first, with equal time spent developing the characters’ individual stories, as well as both of the boys’ relationship with Sulli, and with each other. The first book, I felt, leaned very heavily on Sulli and Banks together – which I loved, of course, but I thought it was done at the expense of developing Akara and his relationship with Sulli. Here, we spend a lot of time with all of the characters individually, in pairs, and between the three of them, and I loved exploring them and all of the dynamics at play, because nobody writes character dynamics like the Ritchie sisters, and they have created something really unique with these three characters.

“Wild things aren’t meant to be caught,” I breathe.
His eyes caress mine. “You’re not a thing.”
“Then what am I?”
“Mine,” he says. “His.” His lips hover against my ear once more. “Ours.”

I particularly liked the exploration of Banks and Akara’s relationship. They are good friends, but also more. It’s not romantic, but it’s definitely something . They don’t define it, they don’t have to, once again they follow their hearts, and it’s so gorgeous to watch things develop between them.

“I can’t play favorites with you, Banks.”
“But I am your favorite,” I mention.
He gives me a look like I’m being ridiculous.

“I’m just hanging on, Banks.” He sighs heavily. “The only certainty I have right now is you and her.”

The feelings are strong, the chemistry sizzles, and the sexy time is off-the-charts hot! But even with all of the love between them, it’s hard to battle all that they are up against, and they will be tested like never before. Especially when a new threat appears, who is sharing very private – and disturbingly accurate – gossip about the family. It puts everybody on high alert, and when it comes to protecting Sulli, there’s nothing Akara and Banks won’t do.

“What I feel for Sulli is cemented so deep inside my unholy soul. The world will have to bring me to my knees to take her away from me.”

“I can’t live without you, Sullivan Minnie Meadows, and I’ve felt the truth in that. That for as much as I will always protect you, I can never stop loving you.”

As doped-up and love-happy as I was while reading, there are moments in this book that had me catching my breath, and that made my heart ache. I loved the emotional ride, and watching them work through it all is such a beautiful journey.

“I want to be fearless with my life … like my parents were with theirs.”

There is one more book coming for these three. Is it necessary? I don’t think so, but I’ll definitely still read it. There are other stories in the series that I want to move on with, and getting to see so many amazing side characters in this book, hints continue to be dropped about future couplings (and even a throupling), and each of them gave me a little burst of excitement. I can’t wait for more from this series.

I loved this one. Loved the characters, loved their romance, and loved being back in this world, and I finished this book with a big grin on my face.

5 stars

 

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About the Authors

 

Krista & Becca Ritchie are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors and identical twins—one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek—but with their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as kids and have never stopped
telling stories. Now in their twenties, they write about other twenty-somethings navigating through life, college, and romance. They love superheroes, flawed characters, and soul mate love.

 

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