He thinks he’s broken me. That I’m finally under his complete control. But I’m biding my time, gathering intel, making plans, and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. So, when an unexpected savior appears—offering me a way out—I grasp it with both hands.
But the man I love refuses to let me go, and he’s hell-bent on protecting me at all costs.
Except he’s far too late.
Kaiden’s betrayal fuels the anger flowing through my veins, and now our roles are reversed—I’m the hunter, and he’s my prey. I enjoy torturing him, lying to him, and letting him believe in false truths that were never our reality.
Until the stakes are raised, and I’m forced into playing their game again. Only this time, it’s not just my life hanging in the balance.
I thought he’d done his worst. That he didn’t have the power to hurt me anymore.
But I was wrong.
His depravity knows no bounds, and now, he’s taken everything from me.
This time, it means war, and I’m taking no prisoners.
The darkness of Cruel Intentions had me pretty jaded so I didn’t think anything could really shock me but I was wrong. Dark is an understatement. This story is full of twisted minds, torture and debauchery. I’m not generally bothered by things in plotlines but if there’s anything you’re sensitive to or strive to avoid, this series may not be for you. That said, this book was even better than the first and every time I thought it couldn’t get weirder, it did.
So many things happen, it’s not possible to give me detail without spoiling everything so I’ll only say there’s kidnapping, a forced marriage and Abby is held prisoner in a psych hospital at the behest of her evil father. Michael Hearst-Manning is easily the most evil character ever. He’s a greedy, conniving, manipulative, power-hungry pervert and there’s nothing good about him. Michael isn’t one of those bad guys you love to hate, you really just loathe every fiber of his being. The thing that makes my blood run cold is that Michael isn’t just a fictional supervillain, he’s a composite of real-life psychopaths. Most don’t have his money so aren’t nearly as powerful or capable, but there are people in the world with no conscience who will do anything to get what they want. They may not wield the power or influence to act so brazenly as he does, but they exist, in larger numbers than we’d like to think.
We’ve picked up a number of new characters along the way, including an old friend of Abby and Drew’s beloved mother and Kai’s brothers, plus we’ve gotten to know some of the others much better. I have to say that I love Xavier completely and the relationship he and Abby have. He is the purest thing in her life and the only person I trust. I’d love to see Xavier get his own book so it would be great to see his name on the list for the next book.
I also love Jackson and really want to know his story, so I’ll probably read it soon even if I hold off on the others for a bit longer. There’s just something about him that’s irresistible so despite all the smoking hot action we get, Abby and Kai aren’t the only ones turning up the heat here. Like the first book, this one positively steams and there’s an undeniably kinky bent to some of it. If you get a thrill from exhibitionism or voyeurism, you’ll love these scenes.
I put this in the previous review but need to state it again: Once or twice, I had to scroll back to re-read an earlier section because I stayed up way too late reading and couldn’t keep it all straight in my head. The pacing really picks up, often hitting an almost frantic speed because there’s so much going on and so many characters to watch.
Abby is stronger and more determined than ever despite the horror of her life, mainly inflicted by her own father. There are so many enemies to face, it often feels like nobody can be trusted, not even Drew, but I’m happy to say that this is where Kai erased the lingering doubt I carried over from the first story. He loves Abby and has done nothing to put her in harm’s way, no matter how things may appear. That made it possible to relax a bit more, knowing that there’s someone she can truly trust and count on besides Xavier.
Like the first book, this one is dirty, compelling and fascinating. It also ends on a cliffhanger which I just think is so mean. Sure, I only started the series after all three were released so I didn’t have to suffer but I still find it in bad taste. Lots of people deem it to be a successful way to hook readers into buying the next book and they’re probably right. I haven’t sold a single book yet so what do I know? But as a reader, I think it’s an awful thing for an author to do, just a genuinely cruel tactic.
I dove directly into the final book from the new cliffhanger and will recap the final chapters of Abby and Kai’s story in tomorrow’s post. This is the second book in this delicious series from Siobhan Davis and they must be read in order.
Footnote: there are 7 books in the Rydeville Elite series (so far) but Abby and Cam’s story is a complete series to me. Books 1 and 2 end in cliffhangers so the story flows uninterrupted for three full novels while books 4-7 are stand alones for various characters we’ve met in Abby and Cam’s story (Charlie, Jackson, Sawyer and Drewe). I’ll probably read the rest eventually — especially Jackson’s because wow — but 6 and 7 haven’t even been released yet.
Other reviews in the Rydeville Elite series
- Cruel Intentions – book 1
- Ruse – book 1. 5 bonus content Cruel Intentions prologue from Kai’s POV
- Twisted Betrayal – book 2
- Sweet Retribution – book 3 (finishes Abby + Kai’s story)
- Charlie – book 4
- Jackson – book 5
- Sawyer – book 6
- The Hate I Feel – book 6.5 (short story in the Hot Summer School Nights anthology)
- Drew – book 7 – scheduled for 2022 release
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