Scan barcode
krispe22's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
2.5
Yikes, this took a turn. The wife in this novel turned a corner in this book, becoming just as violent, if not more violent, than her husband. Sorry, I know we read books where sometimes murder seems "justified" (a la Dexter), but you cannot convince me that an average housewife (like me) would suddenly enjoy killing people for sport. And the end is extremely predictable. Am i going to read the next one? Yes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
delpoop's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book does pick up a little more than the first book, the plot is moving a little quicker. However, the twists within this book genuinely caught me off guard and had me sitting at my desk at work with my mouth open. I like to listen to easy thriller's while working, and this one is so much more interesting than I had pegged it for. I started the first book two days ago and I am already on the third.
(there is some triggering content, but if it helps it is not very graphic or gory)
(there is some triggering content, but if it helps it is not very graphic or gory)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Murder
danie_faye's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Sexual assault
hannahromans's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
writingbookscoffee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Pedophilia
binreads's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
It’s a shame that this book only began to get good around 75% of the way in. Ending was great but…..this series has been a mess.
I read The Arrangement and gave it a 3.5 at the time. The ending twist learning Peter’s secret really disgusted me. I actually had no idea there was a sequel. I wanted to give Kiersten another chance but maybe her style is not for me.
What’s bothersome is that, so much happens and virtually none of it has meaning because in the next page we’re already onto the next phase of the story. And I’m just gonna say it, the main characters are insufferable. The events that happen in this book are so rushed by that I don’t have time to care about any of it.
My biggest question is how are we, the readers, supposed to believe these characters, Peter and Ainsley, able to do all these horrible acts, get away with it all the time, and raise THREE LITERAL CHILDREN? And the children don’t suspect a thing besides mommy and daddy may be getting a divorce? These parents are just able to kill and bury people and not once does a child hear anything, they’re just never home? It makes NO sense!!! Gives no credit to how smart and sneaky kids are especially when things are rocky at home, kids begin to snoop. Peter and Ainsley would’ve had to screw up at this point.
Spoilers review, explicit and harmful mentions & trigger warnings ahead so proceed with caution:
Let’s start with this whole rapist murderer that is Peter. That threw me for a loop in this first book. It was just so unnecessary??? Especially the explicit and disgusting act of rape…I’m profoundly upset that this is even a central topic in this book. We just have to read from the mind of a rapist and what…sympathize with him??? Genuinely. What more does this give to the story? If it had a purpose I could understand it but it feels like It’s a wanna-be completely worse and poor attempt at a Joe Goldberg from You.
But what makes it unbelievable, is we are supposed to believe this WOMAN.. Ainsley just ACCEPTS her HUSBAND and FATHER of her children has been out here being disgusting and raping/killing women…and she still WANTS HIM??? She legitimately has a daughter, is a woman herself and is like oh yeah I love my violent rapist serial killer husband. And I get that that IS possible, but maybe it’s just written terribly?
So already the foundation of this story is all over the place, but these characters kill two people in the span of a few chapters and their deaths mean nothing. All this build up about Jim - mans is dead and forgot about in an instant. What about his little business? What about the fact that cops interviewed him about Peter and now he’s missing too??? Why did he need all those boxes?? Who’s body was in the room???
Don’t even get me started on the Coach sub-storyline. The author really was sitting there like, as if I didn’t make this book deplorable enough, let’s throw in a pedophile for good measure!!! So Ainsley and Peter - the rapist/serial killer wanna team up and kill this coach but oh, Peter never killed and raped children so he must be so much better than the Coach huh?? (can you sense my sarcasm here?)
And to even add in the line where Peter admits to this self awareness….And again, the Coach is dead in an instant and it means nothing. We feel nothing for any of these characters.
Just when it started getting good with the therapy part, Joanna (whom I completely forgot about from the first chapter), and the growing distrust dynamic between the couple, oop the book is over!!
I sincerely wish the whole story was centered on that bit - them seeking out therapy and slowing going against each other until the very end where someone gets killed. At least that would’ve been more interesting than these random side characters who right when you start to feel any sort of emotion for the situation, they are dead and the couple is back to square 1 with their sex filled crazed phase again.
The ending left with a cliffhanger so I’m assuming there will be another eventually. I will say I do like how fast these books are to read and I want to like this author so badly but I am extremely disappointed. Not sure if I’ll pick up another sequel from this series.
I read The Arrangement and gave it a 3.5 at the time. The ending twist learning Peter’s secret really disgusted me. I actually had no idea there was a sequel. I wanted to give Kiersten another chance but maybe her style is not for me.
What’s bothersome is that, so much happens and virtually none of it has meaning because in the next page we’re already onto the next phase of the story. And I’m just gonna say it, the main characters are insufferable. The events that happen in this book are so rushed by that I don’t have time to care about any of it.
My biggest question is how are we, the readers, supposed to believe these characters, Peter and Ainsley, able to do all these horrible acts, get away with it all the time, and raise THREE LITERAL CHILDREN? And the children don’t suspect a thing besides mommy and daddy may be getting a divorce?
Spoilers review, explicit and harmful mentions & trigger warnings ahead so proceed with caution:
But what makes it unbelievable, is we are supposed to believe this WOMAN.. Ainsley just ACCEPTS her HUSBAND and FATHER of her children has been out here being disgusting and raping/killing women…and she still WANTS HIM??? She legitimately has a daughter, is a woman herself and is like oh yeah I love my violent rapist serial killer husband. And I get that that IS possible, but maybe it’s just written terribly?
So already the foundation of this story is all over the place, but these characters kill two people in the span of a few chapters and their deaths mean nothing. All this build up about Jim - mans is dead and forgot about in an instant. What about his little business? What about the fact that cops interviewed him about Peter and now he’s missing too??? Why did he need all those boxes?? Who’s body was in the room???
Don’t even get me started on the Coach sub-storyline. The author really was sitting there like, as if I didn’t make this book deplorable enough, let’s throw in a pedophile for good measure!!! So Ainsley and Peter - the rapist/serial killer wanna team up and kill this coach but oh, Peter never killed and raped children so he must be so much better than the Coach huh?? (can you sense my sarcasm here?)
And to even add in the line where Peter admits to this self awareness….And again, the Coach is dead in an instant and it means nothing. We feel nothing for any of these characters.
Just when it started getting good with the therapy part, Joanna (whom I completely forgot about from the first chapter), and the growing distrust dynamic between the couple, oop the book is over!!
I sincerely wish the whole story was centered on that bit - them seeking out therapy and slowing going against each other until the very end where someone gets killed. At least that would’ve been more interesting than these random side characters who right when you start to feel any sort of emotion for the situation, they are dead and the couple is back to square 1 with their sex filled crazed phase again.
The ending left with a cliffhanger so I’m assuming there will be another eventually. I will say I do like how fast these books are to read and I want to like this author so badly but I am extremely disappointed. Not sure if I’ll pick up another sequel from this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Gaslighting