This is easily the darkest book in the series, which makes the cover very odd since it is decidedly not dark. If I weren't already invested in the series, I would have been turned off by the bubbly pinkness of it, as well as very confused by how the cover does not convey the tone of the story at all.

That said, this is easily my favorite book in the series. I loved that Hebert addressed PTSD, showing how debilitating it is for the person and for those around the person. She touched on Rimmel's PTSD in previous books, but this book really delves into how PTSD can affect a person without them even realizing it. Poor Ivy.

Rather than shifting POVs between Ivy and Braedon, which was what I had assumed given the previous books, Romeo and Rimmel each have their chapters, as well as Zach. That was unexpected, and I appreciated the insight into his psychoses and explanation for why he fixated on Romeo and Rimmel.

And that ending! Whoa boy. ( )

Oh, wow. Just...wow.
So, the book started slow for me. I had no problems putting it down for some reason. It was odd because I devoured the series up to this point. But, the beginning felt like it was just sort of ho hum for me. Then, about 30-40% in, things go interesting. And by interesting I mean "WTF" kind of interesting. Here's why:
1. I LOVE LOVE LOVE when books give you snippets from the villains POV. Its tough because the author has to make them both human and horrible, ya know. Cambria did NOT disappoint with this and its probably one of the best villain POV's I have ever read.
2. Ivy's discovery of what happened to her (I won't say it in case you have read #Selfe). This is a super tough topic to tackle in a book. Too much and it comes off as really fake. Too little and it doesn't seem realistic. Again, Cambria made this so real I actually teared up for Ivy and Braeden. You can really feel the torment, confusion, hurt, and betrayal. Its powerful.
3. Holy crap the last few chapters are crazy action packed!!!!! It harkened back to #Hater and I loved every minute of it!

So, you do get a bit of closure, but lots of things are left open. What happens with Missy? What do Braeden and Ivy decide to major in? Is Braeden gonna get his shot with the Knights? Thankfully, Cambria is writing another book. Frankly, if I had my way, she would never stop writing these books. EVER. Do you hear me, Cambria? Never stop writing!
Book Stats:

Heat: 2
POV: Multiple
Violence: Some
Triggers: Some (mental health disorders, stalkers, sexual abuse)
HEA: Yes ( )