“Lies are still lies, no matter how prettily they’re wrapped in promises.”

How can the four men who stole me from my life be the same men who saved my life? And in the aftermath of that terrible night, where do we go from here?

I don’t know what to believe anymore.
I don’t know who to trust.

All I know is that someone wants me dead. Someone is plotting in the shadows.

The men vow they’ll keep me safe, but all of them are bound by duty to deliver me to Damian Novak, no matter what the consequences.

Hale, Ciro, Zaid, and Lucas. Are they my captors or my protectors? My enemies or my lovers?

And when all the cards are on the table, when lies and truths are revealed, will it even matter?

I was halfway into reading this before I realised I hadn’t written the review for the first book! I realised then I’d found a gem of a book! Books that make me forget reality, forget what I should be doing are always the best.

So, after the dramatic twist ending of book 1, it takes a little for the characters to find their footing and feel grounded again. Grace is made of stronger stuff than I would be and manages to carry the weight of what happened on her shoulders without her legs buckling.

There is a shift in this book between her and the four men. The mistrust fizzles away and is replaced with suspicion and anger. There are moments of hard and fast emotions between Grace and the men, especially Hale, but it is balanced by the plot and what is happening around them.

The shift in focus of where the plot is heading allows for some more exploration between Grace and the men, both one-on-one and together.

We get to learn more about Ciro and what happened to him. It is artfully written and as we get some point of view chapters from Ciro, we gain a better understanding of who he is now and how he functions post the incident that happened to it. It was bittersweet to see the moments shared between him and Grace because under the pain and the disconnect from emotions was something that was so intimate it almost seemed painful to read. Knowing that what was happening was impacting Ciro in such a massive way was rewarding as the reader, it showed the power Grace has but also the care and compassion she gives to others.

Grace still have a lot on her plate and we see her warring emotions a lot here. I can understand her mentality, with all that has happened to her thus far, it would be odd if her emotions weren’t all consuming and threatening to take over.

When I read the Kings of Chaos series I was very pleased with the level of cliffhanger that Ashwood produced because it felt right for the characters and it sparked that adrenaline craze that I so long for in a book. I knew she would give as good as with any book she writes. The cliffhanger/twist at the end of book 1 was interesting enough but I wasn’t expecting what happened at the end of this book.

Maybe I should have seen it coming but I didn’t, I was too wrapped up in the characters. The ending of this second book marks a turning in the trilogy. I can see that the last book will be explosive in its search for the truth as well as its journey to bring the five of them together one last time.

I give this book: ✨✨✨✨✨