Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by kfriend
Into Temptation by Monica James
5.0
MOTHER *UCKER. After the devastating blow we were dealt at the end Thy Kingdom Come, I was desperate to find out just what was next for our embattled Punky and his poor Babydoll. Into Temptation holds nothing back- going straight for the jugular from the very start. The monsters here are alive and well, just as savage and even more dangerous. With more secrets, more betrayal, more revenge, and more feelings-this story is a wildly unpredictable ride that is somehow both devastating and victorious. What a great second act in Monica James’ most creative and original series to date.
Our story does begin a bit slow, but soon dials up to hyperspeed. These characters have lost a lot of time believing half truths and suffering for the secrets of their fathers- and now it is time for a reckoning. Of course, though, things have changed and everyone has tortured themselves in their own way after the shocking heartbreakingly disastrous revelation of the first book. And Babydoll and Punky have a bit of a gift of the magi syndrome- each believing they are unselfishly doing right by the other by repressing their conflicted, latent but still fire-hot emotions for another when all they’ve really done is created distance and longing- and more secrets. And Monica does not make it easy for them - not only do we have a constant push-pull limbo as the result of their secrets but, of course, this dark and dangerous Belfast world is still being masterminded by manipulative and evil men- their families. And if we thought our finale in book 1 cleared the air of all the secrets- think again. We have more shocking revelations, more twists and turns, and more gritty violence looming with each passing page. And, like any epic love story, we’ve yet to see the full extent of the passion and sacrifice Babydoll and Punky will demonstrate for their loved ones, and each other.
Since this book can’t be read as a standalone, I’ll assume you’ve read the first- so you know this story will pick up in a timeframe that you were never anticipating- one of the many jaw dropping revelations from book one. At first, this story felt like no time had passed- the characters felt just as they were, like they’d been frozen in times. Monica doesn’t waste a lot of time filling in the pages with a decades worth of explanation- which is a good thing, because it makes it the more jarring we do start to see the shifts- in many cases subtle, but powerful. Punky feels the same arrogant but lovable daredevil fixated on revenge. Only now, his desire for revenge has exponentially increased, his list of targets longer. But we also see a man subtly evolved- he’s stronger, more clever and ruthless, but he’s also more stoic, feels more accountability and guilt. He’s become increasingly selfless, and in doing so, become more vulnerable as a character- he’s more heroic. And Babydoll has come into her strength- more willing to stick to her ground, to fight for what she wants, to no longer be a pawn in the machinations of greedy men. We still get her heart, but we also get her
Monica really dials up the intensity, the twists, the danger and shocking revelations in the last leg of this story- yet again careening us towards an epic face-off finale that, like book one, deceives us into calm by it’s simplicity but quickly implodes into a unexpectedly tangled web of lies and deceit. The shocks keep coming, and with them, so does the heartbreak and setbacks. Time will tell what this epic finale will mean for all the characters we’re rooting for- but I do know this, the battle has only just begun, and we still have some foes left to unmask it would seem. The stakes keep getting higher, and we are in for one wild and unpredictable wild ride.
4.5 stars
Our story does begin a bit slow, but soon dials up to hyperspeed. These characters have lost a lot of time believing half truths and suffering for the secrets of their fathers- and now it is time for a reckoning. Of course, though, things have changed and everyone has tortured themselves in their own way after the shocking heartbreakingly disastrous revelation of the first book. And Babydoll and Punky have a bit of a gift of the magi syndrome- each believing they are unselfishly doing right by the other by repressing their conflicted, latent but still fire-hot emotions for another when all they’ve really done is created distance and longing- and more secrets. And Monica does not make it easy for them - not only do we have a constant push-pull limbo as the result of their secrets but, of course, this dark and dangerous Belfast world is still being masterminded by manipulative and evil men- their families. And if we thought our finale in book 1 cleared the air of all the secrets- think again. We have more shocking revelations, more twists and turns, and more gritty violence looming with each passing page. And, like any epic love story, we’ve yet to see the full extent of the passion and sacrifice Babydoll and Punky will demonstrate for their loved ones, and each other.
Since this book can’t be read as a standalone, I’ll assume you’ve read the first- so you know this story will pick up in a timeframe that you were never anticipating- one of the many jaw dropping revelations from book one. At first, this story felt like no time had passed- the characters felt just as they were, like they’d been frozen in times. Monica doesn’t waste a lot of time filling in the pages with a decades worth of explanation- which is a good thing, because it makes it the more jarring we do start to see the shifts- in many cases subtle, but powerful. Punky feels the same arrogant but lovable daredevil fixated on revenge. Only now, his desire for revenge has exponentially increased, his list of targets longer. But we also see a man subtly evolved- he’s stronger, more clever and ruthless, but he’s also more stoic, feels more accountability and guilt. He’s become increasingly selfless, and in doing so, become more vulnerable as a character- he’s more heroic. And Babydoll has come into her strength- more willing to stick to her ground, to fight for what she wants, to no longer be a pawn in the machinations of greedy men. We still get her heart, but we also get her
Monica really dials up the intensity, the twists, the danger and shocking revelations in the last leg of this story- yet again careening us towards an epic face-off finale that, like book one, deceives us into calm by it’s simplicity but quickly implodes into a unexpectedly tangled web of lies and deceit. The shocks keep coming, and with them, so does the heartbreak and setbacks. Time will tell what this epic finale will mean for all the characters we’re rooting for- but I do know this, the battle has only just begun, and we still have some foes left to unmask it would seem. The stakes keep getting higher, and we are in for one wild and unpredictable wild ride.
4.5 stars