The Reaper (Dark Verse, #2) (2024)

i simply did not exist before reading this book. you ever finish a book and think what the f*ck did this author do to my f*cking soul? yeah well this book is the embodiment of that.

there were times where my heart almost gave out, i felt the need to pull out my hair, and jump off the tallest building. then their were times i was squealing so hard, smiling from ear to ear, and running laps around the block 🏃‍♀️

Tristian mf Caine..god i need that man to wreck my plans for a month straight. and Morana…f*ck i don’t know if i wanna be her or be with her. either way these characters have me in a f*cking chokehold.

and the f*cking plot of this book? ok let’s unpack that because this sh*t was oscar worthy (or whatever the oscar’s but for books is called) just when the plot thickens, it thickens even more and had me on the edge of my seat chewing my acrylic nails 💅🏽 the twist and turns…bro i grew gray hairs wtf?! this book was c*nty and i f*cking loved it 🫶🏽

Now a summary with their interactions:

Tristan: 👁👄👁

Morana: 👁👄👁

Tristan: 👁👅👁 you're mine i'm gonna f*ck you 👁👅👁

Morana: i love you

Tristan: 👁_👁

Morana: it's alright i know you can't say it but you love me too 👉🏼👈🏼

Tristan: k 👁👄👁

tristan is so hot I feel mentally ill rn

no one talk to me 🤚🏽

I 🫶🏼 Tristan and Morana SO. FREAKING. MUCH. I ~obviously~ adore this romance and our two main characters but I also LOVE how much is going on in the plot outside of the romance. We've got inner mob drama. We've got two rival mobs. We've got missing girls. We've got surprising plot reveals.

I think all my favorite romances combine romance AND mystery which this book does with the mystery subplot. Also also! One of my favoriteeee series is The Mindfck series. I've been searching for a book that would give me the same feeling and love I had toward the mindfck series & this series is doing that!!

I'm a tiny bit sad the next book in the series follows a new couple because I could read about Tristan & Morana forever but I'm also excited to read Dante and Amara's story.

➳ 4.5/5 stars

"She was his gravity, his f*cking planet, and he was lost without her"

Well, this book picks up right where "The Predator" ends, and to say it was amazing would be an understatement. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters, but the writing style just wasn’t my type. And only because of that, I'm not giving it a full 5 stars.

In this book, Tristan and Morana are on a quest to unmask the mysterious "Reaper" behind all the chaos. Alongside this thrilling pursuit, their love story unfolds beautifully. While the tension between them was palpable in the first book, it skyrockets in this one. I adored how they fiercely stood up for each other and always had each other's backs. The chemistry between them was simply electric.

╰┈➤ Tristan Caine

This man needs to be protected at all costs. Witnessing his transformation from an emotionally guarded individual to someone who is making an effort to be vulnerable was truly unexpected. While men in love can do all sorts of things, seeing him change himself for the person he loves is the most profound of all. It's a testament to the depth of his feelings and the strength of their bond.

I have never encountered a character quite like Tristan. Quiet yet profoundly supportive, he goes above and beyond for this woman – caring for her, protecting her fiercely, cooking for her, and even washing her hair. While these actions might seem like the bare minimum, they feel extraordinary coming from Tristan. The character development in this book was incredibly well-crafted. Opening up his personal space and being vulnerable wasn't easy for him, yet he is willing to do everything for her. Moreover, he is never once intimidated by her intelligence; on the contrary, he finds it deeply attractive, which is a rare and refreshing trait even in real life.

"But I never, ever want you to not walk into a room and know that every part of me, f*cked up man and the lost boy, belong to you."

╰┈➤ Morana Vitalio

At this point, I'm almost at a loss for words to describe this extraordinary woman. She embodies perfection in every sense. Intelligent, well-spoken, bold, and fiercely independent – she has it all. Yet, what truly stood out in this book was her immense courage. Despite grappling with her own trauma, she never once considered giving up on Tristan or their relationship. Instead, she poured her heart into making it work, often taking the lead and showing remarkable strength and commitment. Her unwavering dedication and efforts to nurture their bond make her an exceptional character, truly deserving of admiration.

Her fearlessness in speaking her mind was truly awe-inspiring. I mean, who else would have the guts to stand up to a mafia boss like Lorenzo Maroni and demand accountability for his despicable actions? She's a force to be reckoned with, a true embodiment of strength and integrity. I find myself at a loss for words when it comes to describing her – she's simply the complete package. Needless to say, I'm eagerly anticipating delving deeper into her character in the other books.

"I'm not a victim. I'm vengeance, Mark my words, Mr. Maroni. I am going to make you pay - for every single scar you've put on Tristan; for every little hurt you inflicted on Dante; for banishing Amara from her home. And for all the girls who went missing."

╰┈➤ Tristan and Morana

Their relationship in this book was truly impressive. Despite my initial doubts, it exceeded my expectations. The progression felt genuine and well-paced, allowing the characters to build trust in each other naturally. What stood out to me was the authenticity in their interactions, as both characters made sincere efforts to understand and support one another. It was a refreshing portrayal of a developing bond that felt both relatable and heartfelt.

Tristan's decision to tattoo Morana's name on his ring finger, despite the obstacles preventing their marriage, spoke volumes about the depth of their connection. It was a gesture that resonated deeply, reflecting the complex emotions they shared, shaped by their turbulent pasts. Their story is one of profound significance, leaving an enduring imprint on my heart. I am certain that their characters will continue to occupy my thoughts long after I've turned the final page of their book.

"Your body, your life, your heart – they’re all mine now. Trust me to keep all of them safe.”

➳ Overall, if you're in need of a riveting read that will hold your attention from beginning to end, this book is your perfect pick. Enjoyy! 🫶🏻

౨ৎ QUOTES ⊹ ࣪ ˖

⚘ "They will die a thousand deaths, before they ever touch a single hair on your head again."

⚘ "You’re the girl I killed for and you’re the woman I’d die for."

⚘ "You, Tristan Caine, are a beautiful, beautiful man. And my heart beats for you."

⚘ "In the arms of the most dangerous man she knew, she felt the safest she had ever been."

⚘ "She’s under my protection. Mine. Nobody hurts her. Nobody talks sh*t about her. Not me, not you, not anyone. Next time I hear you call her anything less than the woman she is, I will cut your tongue out and feed it to your dogs. Next time I see you anywhere close to her, I will kill you. Stay. The. f*ck. Away. From. Her. Do you understand?"

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

꒰🌷⊹ ࣪ pre-read review ᯓᡣ𐭩

Okayy soo here we goo, hoping this is much better than the first one!!🤞🏻💗

no one

tristan: 🔵👄🔵
morana: i can tell from his eyes... he wants chicken for dinner

4.5 stars✨

Wayyyy better than the first book. I swear I had the time of my life with this one.

My issues with the first book was that the second half was super underwhelming and this one was the exact opposite. The second half here was so action packed, chemistry packed and the plot twist towards the end took it all up a notch. There was still a lot of repetition when it came to "whiskey and sin voice" but having an idea about it beforehand helped. The book had me so immersed that am willing to ignore it this time around... and that's saying something👀

Tristan and Morana have my heart. These two are so perfect for each other, especially Morana who is so patient with him. She gives him space, she lets him be vulnerable and open, never forcing, never controlling and it's so admirable to me. Tristan... My man truly is whiskey and sin (yeah yeah, I know I caved in.. Besides I read it so many times, am used to it now.) I absolutely LOVED him in this one. An underrated thing about him? He doesn't talk rubbish. He doesn't babble. He just talks enough, and it's so meaningful. Basically, he's not one to eat your head. He was so much more in this one. The man radiates power, charm and sex.. and he knows it 👀 *sigh* Why is he fictional 😭

Their relationship had so much depth in this one. They're so much more than just spice tbh. The way they're loyal to each other and the way they understand each other is EVERYTHING!! I love a relationship without any toxicity, there was no miscommunication, just open, honest talks and a whole lotta trust. The way they can just communicate with each other by their expressions and body language 🤌🤌

Am definitely intrigued by the world created by RuNyx and what role the Syndicate has to play in the future. The ending was perfect imo and especially that epilogue 🥺🥺 Also, Dante baby am coming for you and Amara soon. I really hope he doesn't talk in whiskey and sin tho.

Whiskey and sin voice count- Innumerable.
~•~•~
Bring on the blue eyed predator with whiskey and sin voice🥃👀

♾

”you’re the girl I killed for and you’re the woman I’d die for.”

there are times when you aren’t prepared for a book. not prepared enough for an agonizing read that wrecks your soul in tatters and then stitches the fragments back together. not prepared to fall for morally questionable but attaching characters, questing for the forgiveness drown in their past and present mistakes. not enough prepared to be captured between the pages of a new world ruled by a gripping and masterminding plot, seeking for answers by eroding the blurred barrier between the past and present lies. I was taken aback by Morana and Tristan's story. the two books dedicated to their epic telling exceeded my expectations in terms of depth, scheming, and brain.

”His demons dance with mine,” she murmured softly, the truth of that statement seeping into her pores.”

I can be easily seduced by well-written books and bewitched under the spell of their writing. & it’s precisely what occurred with this book and the previous one. i was enchanted by RuNyx’s melodic and poignant plume from the very first words of 'The Predator'. it has such an eloquent voice that melancholically and ironically sang with the ruthless universe the author moulded in the vicinity of 'The Dark Verse Series'. every word had a herd of stumbling meanings behind it. every cryptic quote and phrasing mirrored one too many poetic significances.

”And he had. Even before she had asked him to make a choice, he already had. Even before he knew that she knew, he had wanted to protect her. Even before she had exposed herself to him the way she had, he had wanted her.”

Tristan and Morana. Morana and Tristan. both of them were wounded souls whose pasts and fates were strangely and cruelly entangled. every tiny, twisted, and dark parcel of one of them was in symbiosis with the second one. while the dynamic between them was not typical, it was a masterpiece of enemies to lovers’ arc. it started with them as morbid rivals; their animosity and hatred suffocatingly intense. their pursuit to harm or kill each other untempered.

”Some days, he felt like he would
explode with the emotions she pulled from his once-dead heart.”

but it eventually converged with them being an entity; their empathy and hurt for each other, their love and devotion, their acceptance and approval of one another. In every sense of the word, they perfectly completed each other. ❤️‍🩹

”Morana held him through the pain, her own eyes tearing up as he cried in her arms.”

—————
tristantristantristantristantristantristantristantristantristantristan

This book was so freaking good I’m screaming bc what was that last 10% ?!!! It had me vibrating with excitement. It was so chaotic JEEZ I loved it.

And gahhhhh their small moments were stupid cute skshdjdjkd
When they washed each other's hair?
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓 𝐎𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑?? The way 𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙁𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘿 𝙃𝙀𝙍 no matter what??

…𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐲 𝐫𝐧 😭

𝗜 𝗳𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗮. 𝙎𝙊 𝙈𝙐𝘾𝙃. She’s so patient and SANE. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐮𝐲𝐬. It shouldn’t be such a shocker but damn. I love her so much. The way she shamelessly dotes on him is just 🤌
𝐒𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐫𝐧.

I loved Tristan so much better in this book. 𝐔𝐠𝐡 𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐭.

𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐜 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐎𝐑 𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐄 🔪

ALSOOOO WHAT THE HECK PEOPLE!!! WHATEVER HAPPENED, IN THE END, NEEDS DISCUSSING BC I AM GOING INSANE OVER THE FACT THAT MORANA IS… AND THEN OMG AMARA IS… AND WHYYYYY DO WE STILL NOT KNOW HIS NAME?!!
AND TELL ME THAT THE ADDRESS IS WHAT I WANT IT TO BE 😭🔪 …TY <3

𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁����:
WHY AM I NOW FINDING OUT THIS SERIES IS UNFINISHED?!?!?!!!!!! (ง'̀-'́)ง

𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
Toxic - Inverness ft. Amelia Moore
Superman - Skylar Stecker
Craving you - Thomas Rhett
Don’t let me go - RAIGN
Need me - Hearts & Colours
Eyes on you - twenty7
Shameless - Camila Cabello
For the night - Chloë, Latto
Stay for me - OSTON & Micheal Minelli
Whenever you’re ready - Mahalia

𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:

“𝐇𝐞’𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞’𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤.”
~f*ckKK HAHHAHAHAHHA IM SCREAMINGGGG

“𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞.
𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.
𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲.”
~ AWWWHHH

“𝐇𝐞.
𝐇𝐚𝐝.
𝐀.
𝐅𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠.
𝐃𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞.”
~DO YOU HEAR THAT?! YEAH ITS MY KNEES DROPPING TO THE FLOOR

“𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦. 𝐈’𝐦 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞,”
~YESSS SLAY

“𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿,” she mumbled through a hazed
mind.
“𝙄’𝙙 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪,”
~*dreamy sigh*

“𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹,” 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫.
~*even dreamier sigh*

“𝗦𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗲. 𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿.
𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙚, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚.”
~IM GOING FERAAAAAAL

“ 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬, 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐲, 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝.”
~ ugh he’s so soft for her

"𝗔𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗜 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄."
~LMFAOOO I'M DEAD 💀

“𝗦𝗼, 𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀?” Morana chewed on the delicious eggs. “𝗔 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁.”
𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝
~Grumpy x Sunshine and me are like 🤞🤞

“𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧.”

“𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲.”
“𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗺 𝗜?”
“𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙚.”
~crying in a bathtub rn

“𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 – 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄.
𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲.”
~ HE'S AFTER MY HEART AND I MIGHT CRY, EVERYONE KEEP ME AWAY FROM HIM.

“𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫. “
~someone help me pick myself off the floor.

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀:
The devils night series - Penelope Douglas

***

I’m banking on TristanMorana to give me my small moments in this book 🤞

Edit: it gave.

so down bad that i would bark and purr for tristan, but he doesn't like pets 😔

"She was his gravity, his f*cking planet, and he was lost without her."

Tristan and Morana will never be out of my system. Never.

WOW. This book was so so so f*cking amazing. I loved and enjoyed every second of it!! The best Enemies to Lovers I have ever read. This is how this trope should be written.

This book picks up from where the last book ended. It literally had me in a chokehold. It is so much better than the "The predator" and there is character development and the realtionships got much better in this one. It was so beautifully written. While this one was also from Morana's pov and it did have long narrations but I loved it because Morana's thoughts were literally chaotic.

Well in this book Dante, Tristan and Morana they all are still trying to find the mystery behind missing girls and why the Alliance ended 20 years ago. But Tristan and Morana's relationship is getting better because now they are finally talking I mean they are finally trying everything to make this work and they both know they are in love 🥺💘

And what was that the last few chapters 😶 It had plot twists after plot twists. But seriously It was so f*cking good and I literally didn't expected that. Not even a bit. Everytime I think that I figured out the mystery and all, RuNyx just drops a bomb of another mystery in her books and shocked the hell out of me.

And when Tristan and Morana went to Tenebrae I knew things are gonna be a lot more interesting and it really was a lot more than just interesting. There were secrets after secrets that were unravelling and I know for sure that there's gonna be more in the next books in this series and I am ready for it.

✦ Tristan Caine "The Caveman"
This man is Love! You guys have no idea the things I would do for this man 🥺💖
Tristan The Predator Caine had a f*cking dimple. HE HAD A f*ckING DIMPLE. It's always the dangerous ones who has dimples😌🤣 He is the king of Silent king and everytime he speaks I just losts my mind 😩 His actions speaks louder than his words.
He is so soft for Morana. I mean he gave her a chocolate because she had a panic attack. He washes her hair and cooks for her. Gosh he is so sweet and adorable in this book. I love him sm. I loved how he is trying everything for her. It's not easy for him to be healed after that traumatic past. But atleast he is trying to love her and to be there for her which is all that matters. There's so much character development in this one. He is sharing everything with her, his space, his thoughts, his past and his future. He even had a tattoo of Morana's name on his ring finger. God why he is like that and still fictional 😭
I just want this man to have all the happiness and love. And to all those people in this cruel world who thinks he is a monster I hope you all burn in hell.

"They will die a thousand deaths," he murmured, "before they ever touch a single hair on your head again."

✦ Morana Vitalio "The Wildcat"
My favourite girl ❤️ Her character is so much relatable to me and I absolutely adore her. She is such a powerful, fierce, caring, strong, intelligent, badass, nerdy and an independent woman and I love her for that and for all the other things she is. She is my comfort character 💕 When I read about her past I was a sobbing mess. She deserves so much better and every happiness. I love her friendship with Amara. They both had no woman by their side but atleast now Amara and Morana can become besties. She never asks for more than the Tristan could give her because she already knows how much he love her and she doesn't needs the words from Tristan to justify what he feels for her.

She might look like tech nerd but yess she can kill you 😌🔥She literally threatened Lorenzo Maroni to make him pay for his heinous crimes. This girl is fire. And the way she loves Tristan is everything. God, just please tell me how to be Morana Vitalio 😩 I just can't wait to read more about her in the next books.

"I'm not a victim. I'm vengeance, Mark my words, Mr. Maroni. I am going to make you pay - for every single scar you've put on Tristan; for every little hurt you inflicted on Dante; for banishing Amara from her home. And for all the girls who went missing."

➙ Tristan and Morana's relationship
One of the most beautiful scenes of this book were when Morana hugged Tristan and and he hugged her back and when Tristan helped her to take bath when she was attacked. God, they are so adorable 🥺❤️ I love how their relationship got better and it didn't felt rushed at all. They both tried to trust each other and open up to each other about their feelings.

And my heart literally broke when Tristan told Morana that he was not a monster that he was just a lost boy and no one in his world helped him. They held onto each other and cried. Tristan let himself to be vulnerable with Morana and trusted her. It was so painful to read and yet the most beautiful scene. They both have a very very special place in my heart and I am happy that they found each other and are happy and loved.

Tristan and Morana are Soulmates. I need more of them. This wasn't enough for me. I can read anything about them and still not get bored. But mostly I just want to hug my Tristanmorana 🫂 These two have my whole heart ❤️

"Your body, your life, your heart – they’re all mine now. Trust me to keep all of them safe.”

"You are exactly where you were supposed to be," he told her, his voice leaving no room for doubts.
"I know exactly who you are."
"Who am I?"
"Mine."

The ending was perfect with an epilogue of Tristan's pov. I want more of his pov. This man is obsessed with her and would even die for her. I just wish he gets his own closure about his sister Luna.

— Favourite Quotes —

➸ "You, Tristan Caine, are a beautiful, beautiful man. And my heart beats for you."

➸ "They were similar - she and him. Two sides of the same coin, two ends of the same string."

➸ "A monster,” she whispered between their lips. “My monster. One who could keep me safe and kill the other monsters who wanted to hurt me.” By the last word, his mouth slammed into hers as he turned her under him. “You always f*cking had him, wildcat.” And then he ravaged her like the monster he claimed to be.

➸ "You might have been born with another name but you are Morana. My Morana. You’re the girl I killed for and you’re the woman I’d die for. You are mine and you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. Don’t ever question that again, do you understand?"

➸ "She had almost tasted death and he had breathed life back into her."

➸ "He had given her a taste of two things she’d never had - safety and home. Both had been concepts, ideas that existed in the lives of people who didn’t belong in her world, mirages that illusioned her kind. But he’d been feeding her little doses of both ever since that rainy night in the penthouse, and she was addicted. In the arms of the most dangerous man she knew, she felt the safest she had ever been."

Dark Verse Series is so underrated and those who love to read dark romances with lots of mystery then this book series is for you.
And I know for sure Dark Verse Series is going to be my all time favourite book series. PERIOD. Can't wait to read the next ones 💃

—— 4.5 ✰ stars.

' You,' she whispered to the space between them, ' Tristan Caine, are a beautiful, beautiful man. And my heart beats for you.'

・❥・ Mood of the book playlist:
: ̗̀➛ Devil Devil by MILCK
: ̗̀➛ Broken by Seether ft. Amy Lee
: ̗̀➛ Him&I by Halsey & G-Eazy
: ̗̀➛ Slow Down by Chase Atlantic

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Sigh ok im fine now.
….
Ok I lied, AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!
OK NOW IM OK.

Once again I have to start this review by saying that I'm not a romance girly and even less a dark romance girly, so I don't know if this is the standard dark romance, if it is more or less dark than normal, etc.

Before delving further into my opinion of the book, I have to say that this is a 4.5✰ star rounded up. The main reason for the rounding was that the plot twist caught me.

'Yes, Mr. Caine. Of course, Mr. Caine. Anything else, Mr. Caine?’

╔═.⍴ᥣ᥆𝗍. ════╗

I swear, even if you don't like dark romance, please give these books a chance just because of how good the plot is!!

'She had found something immensely precious in their world, a diamond in the coals, a lotus in the mud. And she vowed to cherish it, cherish him, as he deserved.'

╔═.⍴ᥲᥴᥱ ᥲᥒძ ᥕrі𝗍іᥒg. ════╗

I'm going to dedicate a short paragraph to the smut, so if you're not comfortable with that, skip to the character part:

Once again I found it weirdly hot, although it is true that some scenes did give me some cringe. What I did not like is how in moments that were so important in the plot or that were not necessary, the scenes had a sexual touch, and I was like: EHEM, PEOPLE ARE DYING BRO, CAN WE FOCUS?

╔═.ᥴһᥲrᥲᥴ𝗍ᥱrs. ════╗

⌖ 𝕸᥆rᥲᥒᥲ ᥲᥒძ 𝕿rіs𝗍ᥲᥒ⌖: I have already talked about them individually in my previous review, so now I will only talk about their relationship. CHASE ATLANTIC CODED COUPLE, IF THIS DOESNT CONVINCE YOU, I DONT KNOW WHAT WILL. In this book the romance convinced me much more, I saw much more depth in their relationship, especially on Tristan's part, his story is really painful and every small gesture of love he had for Morana warmed my heart.

'he had offered her a place behind those walls that sheltered him'

'And now that he was denying her those magnificent eyes of his, she realized how much she had come to rely upon them to read him.'

'His demons dance with mine,' she murmured softly, the truth of that statement seeing into her pores. 'That's all I can give you.'

'In the arms of the most dangerous man she knew, she felt the safest she had ever been.'

‘I don’t just burn with you, Tristan,’ she said, her voice shaking. 'I burn for you. And I don't know what I have to do to prove it.'

⌖𝕯ᥲᥒ𝗍ᥱ 𝕸ᥲr᥆ᥒі⌖: I FELL FOR HIM. I am a weak bitch for this man, im sorry. I really liked that in this book he had much more prominence, both his relationship with Morana and Tristan are very strong, each in their own way. I'm really excited to think that the next book is about him and Amara. ANYWAYS DANTE MY KING.

‘She had found a true friend in Amara and a protector in Dante. And she had found, under all the madness and chaos, Tristan. Tristan. Just Tristan.’

╔═.𝗊ᥙ᥆𝗍ᥱs ᥲᥒძ m᥆mᥱᥒ𝗍s. ════╗

‘the sound of her laughter, unfamiliar even to her, ringing out in the large space, making her cheeks hurt, her stomach hurt, making her hurt. Laughing shouldn’t hurt. But it did. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed. She couldn’t remember what she even sounded like then.’

‘The cool blade pressed against her skin in a way that reassured her. She wondered what it said about her, the fact that she found the lethal weapon comforting.’

‘And for the first time since she had known him, she saw a smile crack his face. It was small, just a little curve of lips, but it was genuine and it was there. And it tilted her world on its axis because he had a dimple. He. Had. A. f*cking. Dimple. She stared at it in surprise, somehow thrown by such a simple thing, wondering who had been the last person to see that dimple.’

‘You assume, with your limited mind women only make two good things—wives and whor*s. I’m neither. What I am is a woman who has been freed from the shackles men like you had bound me to. What I am is a woman who knows that freedom thanks to two good men who've made me believe again.’

‘She’s under my protection. Mine. Nobody hurts her. Nobody talks sh*t about her. Not me, not you, not anyone. Next time I hear you call her anything less than the woman she is, I will cut your tongue out and feed it to your dogs. Next time I see you anywhere close to her, I will kill you. Stay. The. f*ck. Away. From. Her. Do you understand?’

‘Never again’, he whispered, his voice rough with an edge of the wildness she’d seen in his eyes. It sent a delicious shiver down her spine. ‘They will die a thousand deaths,’ he murmured, almost gently as his thumb traced the line of her jaw, ‘before they ever touch a single hair on your head again.’ And then, with that deathly vow still echoing in her heart, he pressed his lips to her fluttering pulse. ‘I promise,’ his lips wrote against her skin.

‘Tell me again,’ he demanded, jerking her again. Morana looked into his gaze, seeing the lost boy and the lovable man, both of whom he kept hidden from the world, and told him. ‘I’m in love with you, Tristan Caine. I don’t expect you to say it back. I don’t need you to. I just need you to keep on loving me.’

‘You might have been born with another name but you are Morana. My Morana. You’re the girl I killed for and you’re the woman I’d die for. You are mine and you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. Don’t ever question that again, do you understand?’

╔═.s⍴᥆іᥣᥱrs. ════╗

I’m really intrigued of how the three of them will work now that both Lorenzo and Gabriel are dead, and I f*cking need Dante’s book!! I hope to read it very soon.

➤

OLD UPDATES:
Nov 13: TRISTAN MORANA IM COMING BACK FOR YOU BABY. Let’s get more whiskey and sin 💅🏻

↬↬5 !!✨

🎯Dark romance( bit darker then the first )
🎯More Whisky and sin (you will understand why) 😂
🎯Adult
🎯Crime
🎯Mystery
🎯Suspense
🎯Smut
🎯Mafia
જ⁀➴Ah, this book was so much better than the first one. I spent days and nights consumed by it. Nights turned into days, and days turned into nights. It was pure addiction to my brain that made me unable to function like a normal human being.

જ⁀➴There was more action, more tension, more glimps into the mafia world,

જ⁀➴Dante: Do I need to even say anything? ok i guess I will. he's the total package - a perfect balance of strength and vulnerability. He got me weak in the knees that I might as well get kneepads if I am going to keep bowing to him, all toes dipped and all. The way he connects with both Morana and Tristan is truly admirable And don't even get me started on his dynamic with his queen Amara. I'm practically vibrating with excitement just thinking about their next book together.

WAIT... IF TRISTEN HAS WHISKY AND SIN VOICE DOES THAT MEAN DANTE IS GOING TO HAVE WINE AND DEATH VOICE😂 Runxy please I beg you

જ⁀➴Morana and Tristan, what can I say? They literally had me on my knees scraping concrete and stones; if they showed up at my door with handcuffs and a leather whip, I'd willingly surrender🙇‍♀️🧎‍♀️. They had me swooning, panting, and dreaming up all sorts of scenarios that I won't mention here. They had me wrapped around their little fingers, and I loved every moment of it,

જ⁀➴Ahem, ahem. Anyway, even though their lives were filled with tension, heartbreak, and danger, their connection remained the one constant, the one source of solace in a storm of chaos. The depth and intensity of their characters, the raw emotions, and the heart-pounding action—it's all left me completely entranced.Morana was such a remarkable character; she had patience and understanding that surpassed all bounds. Knowing the darkness of Tristan's past, she gave him time and space to heal and grow, never forcing or trying to control him. Her strength and compassion were truly inspiring, and it allowed their relationship to blossom in a beautiful and genuine way.

♡¸.•*''You,she whispered to the space between them, ' Tristan Caine, are a beautiful, beautiful man. And my heart beats for you.''♡¸.•*

♡¸.•*'‘I don’t just burn with you, Tristan,’ she said, her voice shaking. 'I burn for you. And I don't know what I have to do to prove it.''♡¸.•*

જ⁀➴Tristen... One minute, I want him to do 🥵unspeakable things🥵 to me, and the next minute, I just want to wrap him in a tight embrace, soothe away his pain, and never let go🫂. Seeing him open up to Morana was so touching; despite his own self-perceived monstrosity, it was truly a beautiful thing. He's been through so much, and yet, his growing trust and vulnerability with her are proof that even the most broken souls can find solace in love🥺. Tristen, my dear.... we can do those unspeakable things later 😔 for now you deserve a hug and kiss😚

♡¸.•*''You might have been born with another name but you are Morana. My Morana. You’re the girl I killed for and you’re the woman I’d die for. You are mine and you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. Don’t ever question that again, do you understand?’'♡¸.•*

જ⁀➴I'm utterly captivated by the way Morana and Tristan navigated their relationship; it was so damn healthy that I swear it improved my own health. The way they interacted, how they understood each other, how they trusted each other, and the depth of their loyalty and love—please. WHY IS THIS FICTIONAL😭Watching their relationship unfold gave me all the feels and made my heart soar. Their relationship is making my real- life relationship look like a joke right now. I keep thinking about them when I should be focusing on reality. Damn, Morana and Tristan, why ya gotta make me so damn invested?

જ⁀➴ Soo my babies *grabs megaphone* you seriously need to drop everything and pick up this book right now! Forget about doing the laundry, it can wait. Forget eating, you can eat this book and everything in it. Ignore your phone - it's probably full of annoying notifications anyway, forget sleeping.. who invented sleep anyway🙄?. This book is the real deal and demands your undivided attention😤. You won't regret it, I promise. Consider this your official notice to stop whatever you're doing and dive into the pages of this incredible story. Your inner bookworm will thank me later.

Note: ok so as you can tell and should already know.... I am always overdramatic and exaggerating alot in my reviews and comments 😂you should know by now your girl has no control over her keyboard i simply let my inner demon come out and take control so a lot of the things I say ....dont take them too seriously OKAY? it just for humor and I like to think I am funny 🥲🫠

╰› 3.75 ✭

Is she your weakness, Predator?

🐚𓆉︎ 𝐓𝗋𝗂𝗌𝗍αn

Watching him go from an emotionally held back person to someone professing their vulnerability was literary enchantment at it's finest. I remember tearing up at his past in book 1 and it was equally heartbreaking to get a slightly deeper glimpse into it. I still stand by the fact that he is one of the finest men in the DR genre, always respecting his partner and protecting her in a healthy way without belittling her feelings. My most favorite instances being his admiration for Morana's smartness, no male ego shattered whatsoever. He actually admitted to feeling like an idiot in front of her which was so adorable and I actually respect this particular view towards her.

But I never, ever want you to not walk into a room and know that every part of me, f*cked up man and the lost boy, belong to you.

🐚𓆉︎ 𝐌ⱺ𝗋αnα

I might as well run out of adjectives to describe her. She is a perfect package of brains combined with lethal femininity. I liked the advancement of her character esp. in taking the lead when it comes to moving forward in their relationship, it was extremely courageous and soothing. Courageous because she had her own baggage but she never gave up on Tristan and herself. We are not at all new to third act breakups, staying away from their partner because staying together is dangerous and what not and Morana mostly being the one on the receiving end never fell prey to any of these.

Morana growled, pushing him into the wall, glaring at him. “Don’t play these juvenile games with me, Tristan. I will cut you open and eat you alive.”
He looked down at her, his eyes searching hers, a softness in his gaze. “There she is.”

🐚𓆉︎ 𝐓𝗋𝗂𝗌𝗍αn & 𝐌ⱺ𝗋αnα

The furtherance of their relationship was done immaculately. I nearly lost my breath when they hugged each other for the first time, we all really made it so far! The trope where two damaged people are each other's pillars of strength hits you in the f*cking sternum every time. There was an instance where Morana urged him to open up and he said "later" and this is so important rather than ridiculing the emotional intention of the other person. I admire this healthy depiction of relationships and that too in a dark romance .👏🏻👏🏻 Book couples really need to take notes from them.

It was a blaze now, a blaze which wanted to destroy. Him. She would destroy him for anyone else.

I am usually not a fan of reading different books about the same couple and I get it that the 1st book didn't really shed any light onto their relationship so, this book was a necessary addition. But, it felt unnecessarily long to me. When I started this book and got to a good chunk of 30%, the slump got to me and I stopped reading for nearly 17 days even after being done with my exams. There were some paras describing Tristan's house by the lake a handful times which really felt like a drag on. Another being the constant repetition of phrases like "whiskey and sin spoke", "whiskey and sin entered the room", "the predator did so and so". There wasn't really anything concrete happening for a good part of the book.

Coming to the twist, I guessed it way before I began this book. It felt stupid and was just added to preserve the 'shock' value and failed for me. And the foremost issue being the time limit dedicated to the mystery, how come you concluded it and few deaths in 2 f*cking pages? When the mystery was the focal point of the book aside from their relationship. I was close to dropping this book many times but I didn't want to betray my babies.

This was overall a 3.5 read, had to increase the rating because-

➞ Men crying does it for me.

➞ I liked the way Runyx orchestrated the ending by relating things to how they began in book 1.

➞ Tristan and Morana because there's nothing wrong with them.

I'm looking forward to DanteAmara and I'm already so fiercely protective of Amara. I will def be needing a break from the series for a while, might as well switch genres for the time being.

🐚𓆉︎

𓆰𓆪 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑎 𝑐ℎ𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑖𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑙𝑦. “𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑣𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡. 𝑇𝑟𝑦 𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑙𝑙 𝑢𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠ℎ 𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓. 𝐽𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑖𝑡. 𝐼 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢.”

𓆰𓆪 “𝐼𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝑐𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑛,” 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑚, 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑘. “𝐼’𝑙𝑙 𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓.”

𓆰𓆪 "𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑,” ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑, ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠, ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑚. “𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦, 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒, 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡 – 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑤. 𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒.”

𓆰𓆪 “𝑌𝑜𝑢,” 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚, “𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝐶𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒, 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙, 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑛. 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢.”

4.5 stars

My initial rating was going to be 4.5 rounded down, but while I’m writing this, I’ve already finished the third book as well (I still need to gather my thoughts for that one) and I’ve realised that I’ve grown really attached to those characters and this world with all it’s action and reveals. So you know what? I’m rounding up! I had the best time reading these books! The plot is just amazing. This series has definitely become one of my all time favourite mafia romances and it needs more love!!

“I know exactly who you are.”
“Who am I?”
“Mine.”

This book starts off where the previous one ended. after that long awaited epic kiss! Tristan ana Morana are amazing! I loved them together and loved seeing them navigate this relationship thing. Tristan is just so freakin mute and at times I was begging him to speak more, but when he opens his mouth?? Ahh he got me swooning so hard! And I love how Morana was patient with him. I just love that blue eyed boy and his nerd so much and I freakin loved their baby steps development.

This series surprised me in the best way. The plot is just amazing and got me so invested with its many reveals and all those answers I still need. The characters are so easy to love. I’ve got tiny little issues with this book that I completely forgot about after finishing this. I just had the greatest time reading this and I guess that means it deserve a round up.

#1 The predator - 4.25 stars
#2 The Reaper - 4.5 stars
#3 The Emperor - 4.5 stars

Song recommendation:
Dead man’s arms by Bishop Briggs
Game of survival by Ruelle

4.5 🫠🤌

I could die for this couple!

Dante amara, I'M COMMING🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️
____

I'll be adding some quotes here every now and then!

Updated in 01/08/2024

'You,' she whispered to the space between them, ' Tristan Caine, are a beautiful, beautiful man. And my heart beats for you'

_

'You might have been born with another name but you are Morana. My Morana. Yoưre the girl I killed for and you're the woman I'd die for. You are mine and you are exactly where you're supposed to be. Don't ever question that again, do you understand?'

_

'I don't just burn with you, Tristan,' she said, her voice shaking.'i burn for you. And I don't know what I have to do to prove it.'

REDEMPTION!!!!! I am so glad I listened to all my besties that told me to hang in there bc this book was FIRE!

The follow-up to The Predator starts right where we left Morana and Tristan. Now they are on a mission to find out what happened to the codes and the mystery surrounding the missing girls while surrounded by enemies and figuring out how their relationship will work in this volatile world of crime.

I loved how we got so much more information about Tristan in this book, he became a real person instead of just an idea and it was really well done. His relationship with Morana was so sweet and so many times I was saying awwww out loud! The way Morana just knows what he can and can't give and accepts him completely was really beautiful.
I also really, really love Dante and the friendship he has with Morana. I am so curious about his story and am really looking forward to reading it.

That last 20 percent though!!!! 🤯🤯🤯 Blew my mind, never saw that coming and the way everything played out was AMAZING!! Morana is a QUEEN!

The writing is still a little goofy sometimes with all the stream of consciousness monologuing but since I had managed my expectations for this from the previous book I didn't mind it so much. So thks again to my besties who encouraged to me to hang in there bc it was totally worth it and YOU WERE ALL RIGHT!!!

4,5 ★

Edit:
Changing this from 5 to 4,5 bc I find myself thinking about the first book but never really the second plus I have been thinking about changing the rating for MONTHS & if you have to think about it, it’s not a 5 star

“𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮, 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 – 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬. 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚.”

Tristan tried getting one women and instead got two

Giving this book anything but

“𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙜𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙.”

I was SO scared to start this I felt it in my stomach bc I didn’t want the tension and story between Morana and Tristan to end. The tension that was there in the first book wasn’t in this one what made me a lil 😔 in the beginning, but I enjoyed every cute and “let me take care of you” moment 🥹 we saw a totally different side of Tristan in this one and I had to get used to it since it’s SO different from the first book, but eventually I enjoyed it 🤭

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙤 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩𝙨.
“𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚.”
“𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙢 𝙄?”
“𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙚.”

Morana
Every time I see a women with glasses I think about Morana, I don’t think I’m ever going to forget her 😔 besides some of the cringy things she said she was a very fun main character to follow and I loved it when she was in work mode and hacking into every system- omg and when she found the footage of Tristan and her dad 🤭🤭 fave scene? Definitely one of them-

“𝘼𝙨 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙, 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝”

Tristan
My man Tristan, what do I even have to say. It was so heartwarming to slowly watch him open up and the way he was so possessive and caring 😮‍💨 Morana talking about how his presence made her shake and feel safe- girl it made me 🤰 now get on my level- but no seriously he was such an interesting love interest and I loved the scenes we got with him especially the soft ones- I will hold those very close to my heart🫶🫶

Also, he has dimples so how can I not love him

I expected more of Tristan’s reaction to her meeting another man tho- it was so brief, I needed more jealousy 😔😔

“𝙈𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙡𝙪𝙭𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙖. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙖 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩.”

Dante
🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭����🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🫶🫶🫶���🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🍽️🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

Plot
The plot twist? 🤌 I’m so happy not every question got answered in this book- it makes you 10 times more excited to continue the story (and get to know my Dante). The setting and storyline is pretty different from what I’m used to- maybe that’s why I’m enjoying it so much like I’m legit so curious about what is going on and what happened with the girls and everything- the author really knows how to keep your attention with the romance and overal story.

“𝙃𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙢, 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩. 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙧𝙗𝙞𝙩, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬, 𝙜𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧”

Romance
No words to describe it, just read it

“𝐘𝐨𝐮,” 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, “𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐧. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.”

Didn’t like/found weird

- Some of the things Morana said/thought- what you need to buy is a big ass tape for that mouth of yours almost everything that I found cringe (what is not a lot) was something she thought or said like bae it’s okay to just shut up sometimes

- Some other cringy things like the nickname caveman-

- I found it weird how we didn’t touch the topic of the random person talking to her in the airport soon after it happened

- Why she didn’t question Tristan about the picture like bae I have questions about that so ask for me😭

- 2 smut scenes were placed at not so fitting moments what also made me kinda 🧍‍♀️like I always say, smut, whether you skip it or read it, brings out a different vibe so it’s important (for me) that it happens during logical moments. But I only had this with 2 smut scenes so it’s okay!

“𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚.”

Some scenes/quotes

▸ “She comes with me”,
Coming 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

▸ “And then he did the craziest thing.
He took her hand and helped her up the first
set of stairs. ”
🫠🫠🫠

▸ “Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done had you run. Because he would have chased you, you know.” Morana closed her eyes for a second, her
heart beating strong. “I know.”
Good thing I can’t run

▸ “Have Antria prepare the guest room.”
“No need,” Tristan Caine spoke for the first
time in a while. “She stays with me.”
No need to tell me twice 🏃‍♀️

▸ “It wasn’t lost on her what he was doing. It was a statement to all the men in the room, to the woman who had tried to claim him, and to Morana herself. It was a statement loud and clear. She was his.”
And I’m his too so you are not special

▸ “I’m going to pick you up, Morana, okay?”
Dante, my heart beats for you

Just read

▸ “Touch her without permission again,”Tristan Caine stated so quietly the impact hit her harder, that voice of whiskey and sin sending shivers of a completely different kind over her spine, “and I will break you.”

▸ “if there was any woman who was a constant in Tristan’s life, it was you, even in your absence.”

▸ “Call her a whor* one more time,” Tristan
continued, “and what I did to **** will look like a child’s play compared to what I’ll do to you.”

▸ “Now, listen to me and listen hard,” Tristan uttered, shaking her father’s jaw for emphasis. “She’s under my protection. Mine. Nobody hurts her. Nobody talks sh*t about her. Not me, not you, not anyone. Next time I hear you call her anything less than the woman she is, I will cut your tongue out and feed it to your dogs. Next time I see you anywhere close to her, I will kill you. Stay. The. f*ck. Away. From. Her. Do you understand?”

▸ “They will die a thousand deaths,” he murmured, almost gently as his thumb traced the line of her jaw, “before they ever touch a single hair on your head again.” And then, with that deathly vow still echoing
in her heart, he pressed his lips to her fluttering pulse. “I promise,” his lips wrote against her skin.

▸ “She’d rather he look at her the way he did for the rest of their lives. She’d rather he cook for her the way he did every morning. She’d rather he hold her neck like he did when she was old and grey.”

SPOILER QUOTES

▸ “Good. And anytime you forget that, just remember how I killed my father when I was a boy for her. And think on and think of the people I can kill now that I am
a man to keep her safe.”

▸ “You might have been born with another name but you are Morana. My Morana. You’re the girl I killed for and you’re the woman I’d die for. You are mine and you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. Don’t ever question that again, do you understand?”

Smut
I skipped 7 scenes- I know that sounds like a lot but a good amount of them were very short (1/2 pages on my phone) so it didn’t bother me, plus I loved the story too much to care

4.5 stars

this was sooooo good!! I liked it even better than the first book 😍 proper RTC soon.

~ ~ ~

I couldn't wait, I have to know what happens after that cliffhanger 👀

4.5 ⭐️ I mean?! The plot twists were plot twisting in this one, BUT I wish we got to actually see Tristan open up and talk more lol
STILL LOVE TRISTAN THO

4 ⭐️

“i can feel your life under my hand,” he stated, his eyes burning on hers, his fingers locking her life to him. “your body, your life, your heart – they’re all mine now. trust me to keep all of them safe.”

deep breaths.
deep breaths.
deep breaths.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
i can’t believe this is the end to tristanmorana :(((

i have to admit that dark romance is a new subgenre for me, so all the ~dark~ parts felt a bit too intense for me, which is why i rated it a 4. but besides that, i LOVED THE MYSTERY PLOT. I ATE THAT UP. THE CRAZY PLOT TWISTS AT THE END LITERALLY HAD MY HEART RACING I WAS PULLING MY HAIR AND EVERYTHING
and can i just say that i WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE REAPER 😎😎 my theories were correctttttt 😎🤞

⸝⸝ ꒰ CHARACTERS ⛓️ㆍ₊⊹
↪︎

↪︎

↪︎

⸝⸝ ꒰ FINAL THOUGHTS ⛓️ㆍ₊⊹

🔖 peak chapters:
– chapter 4
when he gets down on his knees for her and puts his hands on her in a room full of their enemies 🤭🤭🤭
– chapter 11
THIS CHAPTER WAS SO GOOD. LIKE INSANELY GOOD. morana getting attacked and then running to dante’s house, then TRISTAIN SHOWING UP and him taking care of her like that i was genuinely on the VERGE OF TEARS. && THE WAY HE QUIETLY CARES FOR HER I CANT DO THISSSSS
– chapter 19/20
the PLOT TWISTS WERE PLOT TWISTINGGGG ,, omg i literally had to re-read these chapters TWICE i was SHOOK

⸝⸝ ꒰ FAVORITE QUOTES ⛓️ㆍ₊⊹

“and what if I want them to touch me?” she asked the same question she’d asked Maroni. “you won’t.” “how do you know?” “because,” he leaned into her neck, his lips ghosting over her skin as he spoke, “you come alive only for me.”

“tristan caine, you are a beautiful, beautiful man. and my heart beats for you.”

“she had found something immensely precious in their world, a diamond in the coals, a lotus in the mud. and she vowed to cherish it, cherish him, as he deserved. he needed time to open up, to trust her not to abandon him someday, and she would give that to him. he had earned that.”

“you might have been born with another name but you are Morana. my Morana. you’re the girl I killed for and you’re the woman I’d die for. you are mine and you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. don’t ever question that again, do you understand?”

“i’m in love with you, Tristan Caine. i don’t expect you to say it back. i don’t need you to. i just need you to keep on loving me.”

“i knew what he’d done to protect you once,” the man deliberated. “and I knew, with the way he kept his eye on you through the years, that he would protect you again when the time came.”

4.25⭐

“Your body, your life, your heart–they’re all mine now. Trust me to keep all of them safe.”

This book picks up right where The Predator ended and, once again There was still a lot of repetition when it came to whiskey and sin. However, when a book has such a gripping and captivating storyline, it becomes easier to overlook those repetitions.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster, filled with so many heartfelt scenes. And the bond between Tristan and Morana was truly special. It's beautiful to see how they were always there for each other, even in their own quiet and subtle ways. Those moments of support and understanding really tug at my heartstrings. It's one of the things that makes this book so memorable and touching. It's incredible how Tristan and Morana have this deep connection where they can understand each other just by looking into each other's eyes. It's like they have their own secret language, communicating volumes without uttering a single word. Those unspoken conversations can be so powerful and intimate, creating a bond that goes beyond words. It's truly magical to witness such a profound connection between characters.

The character development in this book is amazing. It's so satisfying to see how Tristan and Morana's relationship grows and evolves throughout the story.

When she's having a panic attack, he becomes her lifeline, pulling her back to reality and helping her through it. When Dante asks her about their relationship, her response about their demons dancing together is so profound. It's like their struggles and inner demons intertwine, and they find solace in knowing that if one of them ever feels overwhelmed, the other's demons will be there to guide them back to themselves. It's a testament to the depth of their bond and the understanding they have for each other. Such a powerful and heartfelt sentiment!

To see Tristan lowering his walls and opening to Morana. Their trust building and growing stronger is such a beautiful thing to witness. And let's not forget about Tristan's protectiveness of Morana, it's just so swoon-worthy! Their relationship is truly unique and special. It’s these kinds of connections that make a story truly unforgettable.🖤

It's so refreshing to see Tristan and Morana, who haven't had much experience with healthy relationships, putting in the effort to be open and communicate with each other. The way Tristan and Morana accept each other for who they are is truly remarkable. They believe in each other's abilities and support one another every step of the way. It's incredible to see how they lift each other up and lend a helping hand when needed. That kind of unwavering support and belief in one another is what makes their relationship so special and strong. It's a beautiful example of how love and understanding can truly make a difference.

RuNyx knows how to deliver those mind blowing plot twists that keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Dante was also a huge standout in this book. I seriously can't wait for the next book because I need more of him and Amara. Since Tristan has a whiskey and sin voice i wonder what type of voice Dante will have😏

fav quotes ❥⠀

“She was his gravity, his f*cking planet, and he was lost without her.”

“You are exactly where you were supposed to be,” he told her, his voice leaving no room for doubts. “I know exactly who you are.” “Who am I?” “Mine."

“Don’t play these juvenile games with me, Tristan. I will cut you open and eat you alive.”

“She had almost tasted death and he had breathed life back into her.”

"Nobody hurts her. Nobody talks sh*t about her. Not me, not you, not anyone. Next time I hear you call her anything less than the woman she is, I will cut your tongue out and feed it to your dogs.”

#2 read - november 2023 ➵ 4 stars

finally finished this one too <3
- rtc
------

#1 read - april 2023 ➵ 4 stars

it's been over a year since i've been traumatised read the The Predator and maybe it's time to finally read the second book, since everyone is saying how it's so much better. but mom, i'm scared 😭

”you’re the girl i killed for and
you’re the woman i’d die for.”

— OKAYYY now this was a lot better than the first book!! the writing improved, the development between the characters was so good - especially tristan’s development and we FINALLY got the romance it was *chefs kiss*
if you want suspense and thrill this is the book for you — especially the plot twist at the end it will have you saying “HOLY sh*t, i did not see that coming”

honestly, i would DIE for my babies tristanmorana 🫶🏼

wdym this is the end of their journey?! I'm sobbing rn I NEED MORE!! 😭 I always love the characters the most at the ending and now its literally over!! ik they're in the next one but the next is with dante and amara... not sure what team I am now tho after this one

rtc 😈

This author has me in a chokehold

i liked this one more!!
enough to give it another star? …maybe.

it was heading towards a happy three, because i did enjoy some aspects of this one more than the first one.

but still, moana is annoying. she was trying to be a strong, intelligent, admirable but still relatable female main character, but she just feels emotional, dramatic, and of average intelligence.
no matter how many times they tell me that she’s a certified genius, i have yet to see any proof. i’m not calling her dumb (except sometimes she’s really dumb) but HARDLY ‘genius.’
and if she’s not the smartest person on the planet, you definitely can’t use that as an excuse for how f*cking repetitive it is.

and triscuit… still has the personality of his namesake. you could unironically have a more fulfilling conversation with a wheat cracker.
i’ve always thought he was boring, but that last chapter from his point of view may as well have highlighted it in bright yellow. his entire character is made up of: his appearance (blue eyes, voice of whiskey and sin, tattoos and scars), his traumatizing backstory, and that he loves moana. this is it.
i understand the appeal of love interests obsessed with their significant others, BUT HE DOESN’T HAVE A PERSONALITY OUTSIDE OF THAT. TWO OF THE OTHER FACTORS I LISTED ARE UNALTERABLE. he has no hobbies, passions, nuance, literally nothing that would differentiate him from a good looking cardboard cut out.
he even talks about as much as a cardboard cut out.

i didn’t really like the smut and intimacy in the first book, don’t really now.

i guessed maybe 60% of the twists and turns and new things we learned in this book, but there was one towards the end that really got me, so that was fun!

i found the writing to be more tolerable in this book than the first, but still pulled me out of the scenes and made my eyes roll. i know it’s to make a point, but i actually think the lack of dialogue detracts from the reading experience, the descriptions can be so, so dry.

overall, better. i just don’t think this series is for me.

🖇 • re-read
this book was sheer genius. i'm just going to break into the authors house and give her the best head of her life. the bliss after reading this book was indescribable.

꒰ 🏷 ⊹ ׁ݂ spoiler free review | dark contemporary romance

ᝰ.ᐟ tropes:
⤷ dark mafia romance
⤷ enemies to lovers
⤷ found family
⤷ dark backstory
⤷ strong fmc
⤷ forced proximity
⤷ boy obsessed
⤷ touch her and die
— TW: human trafficking, r*pe recounted, panic attack, suicide & suicidal ideation, blood depiction, death of a parent, on- & off-page, death of a sibling mentioned, murder & attempted murder, including the murder of children, torture mentioned, gun violence, explosion, kidnapping mentioned.

꒰ 🖇 ⊹ ׁ݂ I'm not a victim. I'm vengeance

ᝰ.ᐟ plot summary:
tristan had devoted his entire existence to a promise he had ultimately broken on a rainy evening, and now he found himself torn between his haunting past and an uncertain tomorrow. despite their complicated history, tristan's responsibility for morana's fate still remained in his hands. the boundary between enemies and comrades had become blurred for morana, as tristan was no longer her enemy but now her protector. the only thing morana could be certain of was that tristan's life had always been intertwined with hers. the codes that had brought them together in the first place were still out there, threatening morana's safety. tristan and morana, along with mafia prince dante, delve into dangerous world of skin trade in hopes of finding clues that could lead them to tristan's missing sister. however, things take a strange turn when morana receives mysterious messages from two unknown individuals — the reaper and the shadow man. these shadowy figures hold vital information that could turn the tide of the investigation.

꒰ 🖇 ⊹ ׁ݂ He was on the move before she was finished speaking, adrenaline flooding his system in a way he knew he was going to kill if someone stood in his way.

ᝰ.ᐟ overview and thoughts:
when i tell you my mind was blown after reading this book. i can't even describe it in words. the plot had me on the edge all the time. every twist and turn was more unexpected than the last, and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. the epilogue had me screaming, crying and throwing up in every way. everything about this book was so perfect and c*nty. loved every single part of it.
tristan without a doubt is whiskey and sin. i'd drink this man whole if i ever had a chance to. definitely the kind of whiskey that’s meant to be savored and not downed. he's so scrumptious, ugh. please where do i find a tristan caine for myself? morana is an absolute force to be reckoned with. the wildcat once again had me on my knees. a vigorous combination of beauty and brains that make her capable of handling any challenge that comes her way. on top of that, she's incredibly brave and determined - always ready to take on any task that requires her attention. definitely one of my comfort characters.

꒰ 🖇 ⊹ ׁ݂ He wanted to tell her that love was to tame a word for everything that happened inside him when she was concerned. She had shifted him, realigned him from the inside out. Like planet that suddenly pulls a moon into its orbit, she had bound him to her, given him direction for longer than she knew, gave him purpose to exist. She was his gravity, his f*cking planet, and he was lost without her.

𖣠 tristan + morana
the love between tristan and morana was truly remarkable. their relationship had me captivated from the first page to the last, so much that i felt like i was on an emotional roller-coaster ride with them. there were moments where i wanted to scream in happiness, run away from the intensity, or lay comfortably whatever the outcome. they definitely know how to tug my heartstrings and waltz my emotions all over the place. it was a beautiful relationship to watch develop and morph into something even more beautiful as the story progresses. they're forever going to withhold my heart.

ᝰ.ᐟ favorite quotes:

─ ⌗ "You, Tristan Caine, are a beautiful, beautiful man. And my heart beats for you."

─ ⌗ "You might have been born with another name but you are Morana. My Morana. You're the girl I killed for and you're the woman I'd die for. You are mine and you are exactly where you're supposed to be. Don't ever question that again, you understand?"

─ ⌗ He.
Had.
A.
f*cking.
Dimple.

─ ⌗ "He'd known she'd been playing him earlier, he'd played her right back."

─ ⌗ "His demons dance with mine."

─ ⌗ "She's under my protection. Mine. Nobody hurts her. Nobody talks sh*t about her. Not me, not you, not anyone. Next time I hear you call her anything less than a woman she is, I will cut your tongue out and feed it yo your dogs Next time I see you anywhere close to her, I will kill you. Stay. The. f*ck. Away. From. Her. Do you understand?"

─ ⌗ "So, he cooks and cleans?" Morana chewed on the delicious eggs. "A man after my own heart" She saw his lips twitch, just as she'd intended.

─ ⌗ Your body, your life, your heart — they're all mine now. Trust me to keep them all safe."

─ ⌗ "You are exactly where you're supposed to be," he told her, his voice leaving no room for doubts. "I know exactly who you are."
"Who am I?"
"Mine."

ᝰ.ᐟ favorite scenes:

🖇️𖥻 [ scene one ]

"Sheath your claws, wildcat," he murmured softly.

Morana growled, pushing him into the wall, glaring at him. "Don't play these juvenile games with me, Tristan. I will cut you open and eat you alive."

He looked down at her, his eyes searching hers, a softness in his gaze. "There she is."

Morana frowned, not understanding. She breathed deeply.

"What was that?"

"I just wanted to see something," he explained.

"What?"

"If you burned as I burn with the need to claim you. That I wasn't alone in the fire."

🖇️𖥻 [ scene two ]

"Never again," he whispered, his voice rough with an edge of wildness she'd seen in his eyes. It sent a delicious shiver down her spine.

"They will die a thousand deaths," he murmured, almost gently as his thumb traced the line of her jaw, "before they touch a single hair on your head again."

And then, with that deadly vow still echoing in her heart, he pressed his lips to her fluttering pulse.

"I promise."

🖇️𖥻 [ scene three ]

"You made a promise last night in the dark," she murmured softly, knowing she has his full attention. "I'm making you one now."

Brushing the thumb over line of this jaw, feeling the scruff rasping against it, she vowed, repeated his own words.

"Never again. You'll never be alone again. No matter how bad the nightmare gets, I'm going to be right here."

🖇️𖥻 [ scene four ]

"You are exactly where you're supposed to be," he told her, his voice leaving no room for doubts. "I know exactly who you are."

"Who am I?"

"Mine."

Morana felt her chin quiver, her eyes burning.

"You might have been born with another name but you are Morana. My Morana. You're the girl I killed for and you're the woman I'd die for. You are mine and you are exactly where you're supposed to be. Don't ever question that again, you understand?"

Morana did, she understood his words, but her foundations had crumbled, her entire life shaken, her future a blank. In that moment, sitting in the cold shower with him fully-dressed, looking into his blue eyes, there was only one thing that mattered.

"Don't hate me again."

🖇️𖥻 [ scene five ]

"I'm cynical, Morana," he told her, holding her hand and her attention. "I don't believe in marriages. I don't believe in men who wear rings with their wives only to take it off later. But I believe in loyalty. I believe in commitment."

He saw her eyes shimmering, knew she'd already figured it out. He wasn't surprised — sometimes she knew him better than he knew himself. She was his gift for a f*cked up life, this woman of fire that warmed his chilled lonely bones.

"I can't marry you," he told her, "not until I fulfill the promise I made to my sister."

She nodded in understanding.

"But I never, ever want you to not walk into a room and know that every part of me, f*cked up man and the lost boy belonged to you."

ᝰ.ᐟ overall ratings:

the predator
⤷ 4 stars ★
the reaper
⤷ 5 stars ★
the emperor
⤷ 5 stars ★
the finisher
⤷ 3.5 stars ★
the annihilator
⤷ 2 stars ★
the syndicator
⤷ yet to release.

5 Predatory stars

So this book is the epic conclusion to Morana and Tristan’s story and boy did it not disappoint when it came towards their relationship. It was just perfect.

After finishing the first book I was left with SOOOO MANY unanswered questions about the codes, missing girls, the outfit but most importantly about Tristan and Morana.

This book starts off from where the first book ended, after the kiss Tristan and Morana head back to the penthouse where Dante is waiting for them. Dante informs Tristan that they have to head back to Tenebrae as “Things are escalating back home”. Tristan asks Morana if she wants to leave Shadow Port and come with him to Tenebrae and obviously she agrees.

Once they reach Tenebrae, I finally get the Tristan and Morana moments I had been craving for. Yes, it was slow which I feel adds up to the whole angst in this book and honestly that’s how it should be because Tristan has been through A LOT in his life like A LOT A LOT, so you cannot expect for Morana to open her legs once for Tristan and for him to forget about all the hardships he had been through in his life and be the perfect boyfriend.

Tristan continued to struggle with his emotions in this book and the only reason his relationship with Morana came so far was because of her patience. And it was worth it because when he finally showed his vulnerable side, I just wanted to cuddle him and hide him from the whole world. That man is precious as f*ck.

God my love for Tristan sky rocketed in this book, he hardly communicated but his actions spoke volumes. There was no doubt in my mind that this man is in love with Morana and would die for her. Period. Also his caveman side? 😉 IN f*ckING LOVE.

Morana, she was so patient with Tristan, she didn’t push him to talk, always picked her battles thoughtfully and was upfront with him throughout this book. You literally read the progress of their relationship through each page you turn to. Again it was slow and perfect.

Even though this book concludes Morana and Tristan story for now, the plot will still continue in the upcoming books, as some questions were answered in this book, there are still some left unsolved and now we have to patiently wait for Amara and Dante’s book to know what’s going to happen next. And I’m so f*cking excited.

This book is officially part of my “Top 2020 reads list”.