I’m sad that this is going to be the final book in this series, but I totally understand why as the author explains at the beginning of the book. I have loved getting back with these favorite characters and their next generation, and this one was just as great. I love how Crownover is able to infuse her stories with so much emotion, yet also more than just dark dramatic situations. There are sweet bits, and steamy bits, and even the occasional banter that is what I love. 

I feel like with Zowen and Aston’s story we got to see a little bit of almost all of the main characters from the original generations. Of course there have a been a few that have been absent, and honestly, there’s no way every single one of those people would have been around each other forever. Especially not as they began to have their own families, and would have moved on and not had the same amount of time or even been in the same places as everyone. And of course there are those that don’t have kids, such as one of my favorite couples of the series, Nash and Saint. As someone not married and with no kids, I know how quickly your friends who do get married and especially once they have kids, often move on and don’t keep you around as much as their friend group extends and changes to others with similar situations.

But that’s life. And this books is about where life goes after going to prison. For a crime that technically wasn’t one a lot of people would consider a crime or worth jail time for Zowen. The type of person Zowen was though, he couldn’t help the guilt that made him feel he deserved that punishment. His personal growth both from his time in prison to how things are after he gets out is shown perfectly in this story. Aston was a character that from her appearance in Ryier and Bowe’s story, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about her. Even if what she did moving on from Ry was the right thing and everyone knew it, that was a big part of that first story, and made me have some preconceived notions and feelings about her.

However her love for Zowen and how she was there for him was written in such a way that I soon had forgotten all of that and was rooting for the two of them. I don’t want to give away a little bit of the trope/twist of the story, you should read it to see where that goes, but I like it. And I like the parallel to one of their parents’ original stories. 

After the story the author did even mention something I’d kind of wondered, if there would ever be a story for Cassio and Royce, as I loved the two and the way they had their moment at the end. So I’m so glad she touched on that, knowing her readers like me would probably be hoping for that, after she had done a similar book with Orlando and Dominic, Rule’s twin brother’s ex and his new love interest. It’s easy to understand why she can’t go on with these right now. I just wish the world could fall in love with her original series so they would be clamoring for these as well. All I can hope now is that when the movie for Rule finally is out there that it will get those other people involved and invested in this world, as well as my hope they do a good job with one of my all time favorite books!