⭐️⭐️ 2.75–3 stars | 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Spice
Talk about the opposite of the first book. I was about five seconds from DNF’ing this one.
I really struggled with the female main character. For the majority of the book, she’s cold, harsh, and honestly just mean—especially to Sawyer, who is such a genuinely kind, steady guy. The way she treats him for a good chunk of the story feels unnecessarily cruel. He clearly has real feelings, and she keeps him at arm’s length in a way that’s hard to watch.
The spice level definitely jumps here (solid three chilis). There’s a lot more explicit exploration, including elements of sensory play, and at times it felt like it veered outside the emotional depth I’ve come to expect from this author. Some of it worked, some of it just felt… forced. And the emotional disconnect—expecting him to understand her wants without clearly communicating—was frustrating.
That said, the final fourth of the book improves. She softens, there’s some character growth, and things start to come together. I just wish that shift had been more gradual and believable. The turnaround felt abrupt compared to how extreme her behavior was earlier.
If it weren’t for Sawyer (and his son), I’m not sure I would’ve finished. He deserved better for most of the book, even if things eventually worked out.
Not my favorite from this author, but not a total loss either.