4 Theatre Geek Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

This is all types of fucked up, but holy shit HAS IT BECOME MY NEW OBSESSION. I am still reeling, trying to piece my mind together...

NOTE: This can maybe be read as a standalone since it follows a different couple from The Lies We Steal. BUT I think you might be doing yourself a disservice since the first book does explain a lot of the character's backstory and gives insight into the overarching plot which plays a big part of this book... SO JUST GO READ Briar and Alistair's story first AND THEN THIS BECAUSE DAMN!

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
In high school, Sage Donahue is Miss Popularity and knows everyone’s secrets. Everyone wants to be her, be around her, or be her friend. One night, she is having dinner with her boyfriend, her parents, and his parents, and they announce that Sage, as part of a business arrangement between them, has to marry her boyfriend or else they will make her sister do it in her place... (You know, Rose, who was murdered in Book 1 and was the love of Silas’s life). Distraught and desperate, Sage seeks solace in the arms of none other than Rook Van Doren. The two establish a mutually beneficial arrangement and become friends, which soon develops into something more. But the choices forced upon her soon catch up to her, and to protect her sister, she is forced to break Rook’s heart. Now, Sage is back after being committed to a mental institution following a suicide attempt upon learning the truth of her sister’s murder. Her father and his corrupt FBI agent friend give her a choice get close to the Hollow Boys and find dirt on them. The only problem is that, after Sage broke Rook’s heart, there’s no way he’ll ever let her close to him again.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Sage is a badass, sassy queen you don't want to mess with. She is a feisty cat with super sharp claws and she knows how to use them. There was very little she was afraid of in High School, but since the death of her sister, she is not scared of anything because she has nothing left to lose. She approaches challenges head-on oblivious to risks, which often does get her into trouble (especially with Alistair who wants to wrap Briar in marshmallow bubblewrap).

Rook is explosive. He is a pyromaniac who feels a lot. What I mean about that is when he is happy, he is exuberant. When he is angry, he sees red and will literally bash someone's face in and kill them unless someone pulls him off. When he is sad, he is almost inconsolable and when he feels guilty it physically eats him up inside. He is a complete slave to his emotion and addicted to pain which he uses to control his feelings of grief and guilt.

If you do not want a front-row seat into what the anger stage of grief looks like, I don't think this book will be for you because there is a LOT of anger and how it is dealt with in a very unhealthy manner. But you are reading a dark romance and unhealthy behaviour is half of what you are signing up to read! This book is difficult to read at times and utterly heartbreaking. There is so much emotion and sorrow that you feel and experience as you see what these characters go through especially how they are just victims of their circumstances.

The writing is very psychologically poetic at times, delving deep into the subconscious thoughts of these characters and how they're processing their emotion. It is heavy, it is not always pretty, but you can't look away. Sage and Rook found each other once and now that they're a little bit older (and a little bit more scarred and jagged around the edges) they fit together like a puzzle. It takes a while for them to find each other again, but when they do, it is absolutely magnetic and beautiful and you can't help but cheer for them!

I loved how passionate Rook was and how deep his bond goes for the Hollow Boys. It goes bone-deep and is unbreakable! They are willing to kill, bleed and die for each other and would sacrifice anything when just asked! This found family element also bled into Sage's friendships. She has always had fake shallow friendships so when she finally found friends who truly cared and understood her was sweet. Lyra and Briar accepted her with open arms into their loner society and it is just heartwarming that the bond of friendship plays such a big role in this book and series!

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ University Bully Romance
▶ Obsessive, Possessive and Jealous MMC
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Found Family
▶ Second Chance Romance
▶ Pyromaniac MMC
▶ Sister's Boyfriends Best Friend
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Burn the World for You

𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 and 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨:
▷ Hand Necklaces
▷ Nicknames
▷ Good Girl
▷ Mine
▷ Brands Her
▷ Spitting
▷ Confessional Sex
▷ Backwards Cap
▷ Spanking

If you love dark romance and you love emotionally driven stories that are explosive, dark, kinky and will make you FERAL... I would recommend this!!!

I cannot wait for Lyra and Thatcher's story.